Brown: Austrian GP track limit fiasco 'won't happen again'

McLaren boss Zak Brown believes that last Sunday's farcical post-race revisions to the Austrian Grand Prix's classification due to track limit infringements is unlikely to ever happen again in F1.

More than 1200 track limit transgressions were recorded by the stewards during the race left the event's results – which were protested by Aston Martin – in a provisional state.

Eventually, as penalties were compiled and handed out, positions beyond the top-three were shuffled around and a revised classification was published late in the evening.

Brown said the sheer magnitude of the revisions and the belated publication of the results were unacceptable and cannot – and likely will not – happen again.

"We can't have it again. We can't have a race and five hours later you have that degree of change and penalties," he told Reuters on Monday.

"It definitely wasn't ideal what happened yesterday, that's stating the obvious [but] it has no long-term impact because I don't think it will ever happen again."

Brown suggested that the extreme vulnerability of drivers to track limits in Austria was a circuit-specific issue.

"I've never seen anything like that before so I don't think this is something that is an ongoing issue at other race circuits."

In its late post-race report summarizing their sanctions, the stewards "renewed" their recommendation to the circuit to add a gravel trap at the exit of Turns 9 and 10” for future events.

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Indeed, after last year's race at the Red Bull Ring, where track limits had already spurred controversy, FIA race director Niels Wittich had written to the circuit's owners – namely a subsidiary of Red Bull – to suggest that small strip of gravel be added at Turns 9 and 10 to deter drivers from running wide.

But that request fell on deaf ears, likely because of the Red Bull Ring's willingness to also comply with MotoGP's safety requirements which call for asphalt only run-off areas.

However, it's likely the FIA will pile on the pressure on the track to heed its call for the inclusion of gravel traps at the specific corners it has singled out.

"I think a strip of gravel or something as a deterrent to run out there [is needed]," commented Red Bull team boss Christian Horner after Sunday's race.

"The problem is it is very difficult as drivers, because they cannot see the white lines in the car, so you are purely doing it on feel.

"The circuit invites you to go there. It is something that needs to be looked at for next year perhaps - add more of a deterrent for the drivers to be drawn on to that part of the circuit.

"The argument is always MotoGP, but I think you’ve got to have something that is flexible and useful for Formula 1."

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