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One of the most discussed topics around the 2023 Austrian F1 Grand Prix has been the number of drivers who have been warned and penalized for track limits. It is curious to know that 18 of the 20 drivers ran the lane limiting rule during the main race, while eight of them were given time penalties.
If all four wheels of an F1 car are completely off the runway area and are on the kerb (specifically over the white line, which is the starting point of the kerb), then the track limit rule is triggered and the stewards give a warning to the team.
This warning is then sent to the drivers. Here is a complete list of drivers based on the number of times they have been caught derailing and received a warning, or worse, a time penalty for it.
All drivers are ranked from best to worst based on track limit violations in the 2023 Austrian F1 Grand Prix
Zero Cases: George Russell and Zhou Guanyu
George Russell and Zhou Guanyu were the only drivers who did not receive any complaints from the stewards about the track limits. They drove a clean race and didn’t take all four wheels off the tarmac.
One example: Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso
Reigning world champions Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso were cautioned only once during the race. Other than that, they also traveled within the white lines.
Two cases: Charles Leclerc and Valtteri Bottas
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc and Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas were cautioned twice during the Austrian Grand Prix.
Three cases: Sergio Perez, Lando Norris, Lance Stroll, Oscar Piastri and Nico Hulkenberg
Several drivers narrowly missed a penalty for running out of the runway area.
With the stewards penalizing drivers who break the track limit rule more than three times, drivers like Lando Norris, Lance Stroll, Oscar Piastri and Nico Hulkenberg took a sigh of relief after the race as they managed to lead the rest of the race inside the white lines.
Four counts (five-second penalty): Kevin Magnussen
Kevin Magnussen was, unfortunately, unable to escape the penalty hammer from the race stewards as he crossed the white line four times. The Danish F1 driver was handed a five-second time penalty, though it has not affected him since he finished last.
Six cases (15-second penalty): Carlos Sainz, Lewis Hamilton, Logan Sargeant and Nyck de Vries
Carlos Sainz, Lewis Hamilton, Logan Sargeant and Nyck de Vries were four drivers who were given a 15-second penalty for leaving the grandstand area six times.
The FIA stated that after five infractions, the drivers’ violation list was cleared. This means that they will not get another time penalty unless they are out three more times.
Seven cases (15 penalty seconds): Pierre Gasly
Pierre Gasly was the only driver to sit out seven times during the 2023 Austrian F1 Grand Prix. However, he also received a 15-second penalty.
Nine cases (20-second penalty): Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda
Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda were unable to keep their cars within the white lines and exploded nine times, forcing the stewards to award a 20-second penalty.
Despite this heavy punishment, they both somehow secured their positions.
10 cases (30 penalty seconds): Esteban Ocon
Esteban Ocon was the only driver to receive a massive 30-second penalty during the 2023 Austrian F1 Grand Prix. The Alpine driver has gone off the runway 10 times in 71 laps. The referees had to follow the rule book and give him half a minute penalties.
He moved from P12 to P14 because of that. He also broke the record for receiving the most penalties (four) in a single race, beating Pastor Maldonado’s record (three) in the process.
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