Alex Wurz on the issue of track limit violations

The circuit, now called the Red Bull Ring, once belonged to the company of Alex Wurz’s father, a former Formula 1 and WEC racer. Now Alex also works in this company, where he designs circuits and comments on races on Austrian TV, among other things. From the pinnacle of his professional experience, he sees in his own way the problem associated with the numerous violations of the track’s limits over the past weekend.

Alex Wurz: “In Bernie Ecclestone’s day, the track at Spielberg belonged to my father’s company – we owned the track, operated it and carried out promoter duties. The Austrian government was also a shareholder in the company and then the circuit was sold to Dietrich Mateschitz.

If I had a contract with the current owners of the Red Bull Ring, as I have track design experience, I could suggest some changes. We have already had a conversation with Helmut Marko and I gave a speech on this subject on Austrian TV.

We are also in talks with the FIM motorcycle federation, as MotoGP races are held on this circuit and it should be taken into account that any changes to the circuit must be done in such a way that it is also suitable for motorcycle racers. Sometimes it’s not that easy.

But I assure you: you can make the track suitable for both car and motorcycle racing. You just have to be honest with yourself and with the entire racing industry. For example, Charlie Whiting, former FIA Race Director, God bless him, has always been a proponent of standard curbs on all circuits in the world. And this is the wrong approach.

At one point, us racers almost cried when he decided to remove the old curbs on the Brazilian Grand Prix circuit, as they gave Interlagos its own unique character. In fact, the curbs must be designed taking into account the configuration of each specific bend.

Here in Austria, the last exit is generally similar to the last exit in Bahrain. But in Bahrain, nobody wants to attack the curb in that corner, because in three-dimensional projection it looks different, it’s a little bit different height, so the cars behave a little bit differently there. In addition, the tires on the Red Bull Ring also work slightly differently.

In general, curbs cannot be standard. They have to be designed individually for almost every turn. For example, our company has such developments and I am willing to offer certain solutions.

I absolutely do not like that we have to discuss the issue of exceeding the limits of the track during the race broadcast. Me and most of my fellow commentators have this view: when the violation of the limits of the track is obvious, when the driver enters the grass or gravel, or his car makes a turn, it is immediately clear that he has time to it is wasting. .

And then, commenting on the race, I start yelling and draw everyone’s attention to what we see on the screen. And for the fans sitting at home in front of their TV, everything is immediately clear.

But I won’t yell if a rider goes 1mm over the white line, or if a special sensor goes off on the track – some people want more of these sensors. I disagree. The viewer must be able to see and understand everything at once. This is more in line with the original character of our sport.

In addition, the culture of Formula 1 is changing before our eyes. Michael Masi, another former FIA race director, believed it was possible to encounter not only the white line, but also the outer edge of the curb. And Nils Wittich insists that the edge of the track is a white line. And we have to take into account the position of the race directors, the position of the FIA, whether we like it or not.

Probably everyone in the racing industry should get together behind closed doors, without inviting the press, and consider if anything can be changed in our approach to make racing more interesting and understandable for their end users, ie fans.

Talking specifically about the Austrian track, I agree with the racers – the white lines in the last two corners are very hard to see from the cockpit. Of course, in Monaco they do not crash into walls, but the height of the barriers is still more than a meter, it is much easier to see them and drive literally millimeters from them, and sometimes even attack them.

And you can’t see or feel the white line. At least let’s put the curbs in place and the riders will feel them. Of course you can’t call for the white lines, and some riders managed to avoid fines. When the track is wet everyone tries not to run into these lines because they are slippery.

Although, of course, the best racers know how to control, stay within the track. But if we succeed in solving together the problem associated with these types of violations, taking into account all opinions, then the races will become more spectacular.

In addition, the Austrian Grand Prix will remain on the championship calendar until 2030, which is great for our country. Let’s start with the fact that we are closely associated with the traditions of Formula 1, because the Austrians have always been in this championship – it is difficult for Formula 1 to get rid of us!