The FIA has shared details of track limits for F1 Spanish GP along with DRS zones, the power unit elements, track changes and more.
The usual pre-race FIA Race Directors’ note shed details on the track limits in place for this weekend’s F1 Spanish GP, with Turn 1, Turn 2 and Turn 13 being the prime spots for drivers to watch out for. The penalty for such will be there for the whole weekend.
Here’s the FIA note in details:
Turn 1 and 2 Run Off Area –
a) Each time any car fails to negotiate Turn 2 by using the track, and who passes either over one of the speed bumps across the run-off area, or between them, or to the left of the yellow apex sausage at Turn 2, must then re-join the track by driving to the left of the two bollards located before the entry to Turn 3.
b) A lap time achieved during any practice session or the race by leaving the track and failing to negotiate Turn 2 by using the track, will result in that lap time being invalidated by the stewards.
Turn 13 -Turn 15 (Old Circuit) –
a) A lap time achieved during any practice session or the race by leaving the track and failing to negotiate Turn 13, 14 and 15 by using the track, will result in that lap time and the following lap time being invalidated by the stewards.
General – Turn 1 and 2 Run Off Area, Turn 13 -Turn 15 (Old Circuit) –
a) Each time any car fails to negotiate Turn 2 or Turns 13, 14 and 15 by using the track as described above, teams will be informed via the official messaging system.
b) On the second occasion of a driver failing to negotiate Turn 2 by using the track during the race, he will be shown a black and white flag, any further cutting will then be reported to the stewards.
c) In all cases detailed above, the driver must only re-join the track when it is safe to do so and without gaining a lasting advantage.
d) The above requirements will not automatically apply to any driver who is judged to have been forced off the track, each such case will be judged individually
Aside the track limits, the FIA also detailed on the changes made to the circuit, especially the Turn 10, which has been reconfigured on the whole. The work was done between 2020 and 2021, keeping in mind both F1 and MotoGP races held at the venue.
Here’s the changes to the circuit –
- The yellow combination bumps at the apex of Turn 8 have been extended toward the exit of Turn 7 by approximately 20m.
- The Turn 9 apex kerb has been removed and replaced with a new kerb of the same type.
- Turn 10 is a completely new configuration.
- The rear of the Turn 13 combination kerb has been backfilled to provide a gradual transition.
With regards to the DRS zones, there is no huge change from previous F1 races, where the first detection zone is 86m before Turn 9 and activation zone is at 40m after Turn 9. The second detection zone is safety car line 1 and activation at 57m after Turn 16.
Moving on to the four FIA stewards for the F1 Spanish GP, they are Tim Mayer, Enzo Spano, Derek Warwick and David Domingo. In terms of the PU elements of the teams, there is no change from the previous round held in Portugal.
Only Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly & Yuki Tsunoda, have used multiple elements. The former two are on their second Energy Store and Control Electronics, while the Japanese is on his third of the same. He, however, is on his second International Combustion Engine, Turbo Charger, MGU-H and MGU-K.
Here’s the full FIA Race Directors’ note: https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/decision-document/2021%20Spanish%20Grand%20Prix%20-%20Race%20Directors’%20Event%20Notes%20.pdf
