Where does robust racing become unfair? 🖕🏎️🤬
At a kart track last summer, I came out of a corner much faster than the driver in front and went to pass her on the left. She moved over to block me, but I was already alongside. I had to go onto the grass, then slow to avoid a wall. Talking to her afterwards, she didn't seem to think she'd done much wrong.
In Austria today, a similar thing happened when Verstappen tried to pass Perez in the F1 sprint race. He got pushed onto the grass.
What are the rules? Oddly, they aren't written down. But some things are generally agreed.
When another car is along side, you have to leave enough room
That's what went wrong in both of the examples above. Grey areas include how much space is enough, and how much along side is enough.
Weaving isn't allowed, particularly under braking
This is tricky because overtaking mostly happens under braking, so drivers will try to defend. It's understood that you can make one move in the braking zone: go left or right, but don't then change your mind. Grey areas include drivers saying they weren't making a second move, they were just "resuming the racing line".
Going off track can't gain you an advantage
You may save time by cutting a corner, and usually it's ignored once or twice, but can get you penalised for doing it too much. If you pass someone by going off, you have to give the place back. "Off" means all four wheels over the edge of the track.
What if you break the rules?
Naughtiness is referred to the stewards, who can issue various penalties. It's a constant gripe that stewards' decisions are inconsistent. They are different people at each race.
Some drivers don't wait for the stewards to deal with issues. Verstappen is easily annoyed, and at the next two coners he blocked Perez pretty aggressively. He was on the inside, and to prevent Perez passing in the outside, he didn't even try to make the apex of the corner. Perez had the choice to either go off the track, or into him, or to brake so heavily he might lose places. The first time was so extreme that the cars behind nearly hit them both. But there's no tule against being an angry, entitled, arse.
Several very good drivers have also been arseholes. Senna, Schumacher and Verstappen were all of the opinion that everyone else should just get out of the way. And this is despite them having enough talent and speed to ignore any perceived slight and just be the faster driver.
I, on the other hand, was quite happy to know that the driver who pushed me off the kart track was just inexperienced and slow. I'm all heart. ;-)
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