Teams want track limits rules relaxed - Niki Lauda

Top Formula One teams are talking with race director Charlie Whiting to see if he will change his stance on track limits.

Thursday's Strategy Group meeting saw Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull seemingly make progress when it comes to penalising drivers for crossing white lines at the edge of the track.


However, the FIA's Charlie Whiting remains adamant that there is zero tolerance to exceding track limits.

"We all asked Charlie to stop this thing of punishing a driver for being a few centimetres over a line," Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda told Brazil's Globo Esporte.

"We said seeing drivers pushing is spectacular and good for F1. Charlie said he didn't agree but would meet our request, but it wasn't true," he added.

Teams are said to be increasing losing patience with Formula One's ever-changing rules, with Ferrari and Red Bull said to be backing Lauda and Mercedes.

"We need to end this 'under investigation' for every moment we see," said Lauda. "Like the stupid situation in Budapest, where six hours after qualifying we didn't know if Nico (Rosberg) was really on pole.

"How do we explain all this to the viewer? It's crazy."

"F1 needs more easily understood rules so that what people watch on TV corresponds to reality. We can no longer keep changing the outcome as we go."

"It's a serious mistake," Lauda insisted.
 

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