The FIA has altered how it will monitor track limits at Portimao after 125 lap times were deleted during the opening two practice sessions on Friday.
Outlined in race notes from FIA Race Director Michael Masi, from FP3 onward at Turns 1 and 4, lap times will be deleted if a driver completes a lap “by leaving the track and cutting behind the red and white kerb”.
On Friday, drivers were penalised if their car went beyond the track surface itself, leaving to margin to use the kerbs, which has been done at previous events.
The stewards also clarified that track limits at Turn 15 will be breached if a driver is “judged to have left the track if no part of the car remains in contact with the track”.
Romain Grosjean was one driver to vent frustration over the strict limits on Friday, pledging to bring up the topic in the evening’s driver briefing.
Most drivers fell afoul of Friday’s track limits, with 65 offences in FP1 and 60 in the second session.
This weekend marks Formula 1’s first ever trip to the Algarve circuit for a World Championship round and the sport’s first Portuguese GP since 1996.
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