Formula One drivers have welcomed the decision to increase the width of grid slots in the upcoming Australian Grand Prix. This decision follows penalties given to drivers Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso for failing to hit their marks on the starting grid in the season’s first two races. The boxes will now be 20cm wider at Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit, and a central guideline will be trialled on Friday to help drivers align their cars correctly on the starting grid.
At the start of this season, the grid positions were already enlarged by 20cm compared to the previous year, as drivers struggled to see the markings after the switch to larger 18-inch wheels. Both Ocon and Alonso received five-second penalties for failing to hit their marks in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, respectively. Alonso, the most experienced driver in Formula One history, expressed doubt about the effectiveness of the central line, stating that the approach to the box was sideways, so the central line might not make much of a difference.
George Russell, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association and a Mercedes driver, stated that a five-second penalty for being laterally out of place was “probably too harsh.” He argued that drivers could not see anything when lining up, and the penalty should reflect the difficulty of the task. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly echoed Russell’s sentiment, stating that lining up correctly was “one of the most stressful times of the race.” AlphaTauri’s Dutch rookie Nyck de Vries agreed, saying that drivers “literally can’t see anything,” and they had to reference the car in front of them and guess where they were on the grid.
Overall, the wider grid slots have been welcomed by drivers, as they will help to avoid penalties for minor mistakes. The upcoming Australian Grand Prix will be the first race to feature the wider grid slots, and the trial of a central guideline will also take place on Friday. It remains to be seen whether these changes will have a significant impact on the drivers’ ability to align their cars correctly on the starting grid. However, the hope is that they will help to reduce the stress and penalties associated with the task, particularly in high-pressure situations such as the start of a race.
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