PALMER: We need a re-think on the penalty for passing a driver off track – here’s what I’d do…

Track limits have been a major talking point over the last couple of races, with a litany of penalties being handed out in the Qatar Grand Prix, before Max Verstappen had his pole time deleted in Friday’s qualifying at COTA for crossing the white line at the penultimate corner.
With the line being thickened for Saturday, lap time deletions were no longer a major problem into the weekend in Texas, but track limits were still the cause of a five second penalty and a wider debate, as George Russell passed Oscar Piastri with all four wheels off the road in the Sprint (as you can see in the video above).
Next Up
Related Articles
Verstappen confirms new number for 2026 season
Beyond The GridThe best of 2025, from Norris’ evolution to Brad Pitt’s ‘need for speed’
Celebrating the first F1 Allwyn Global Community Awards
Vasseur says he misjudged impact of switching focus to 2026
EXPLAINED: The key terms for F1’s new-for-2026 rules
Winners & Losers5 Winners and 5 Losers from the 2025 season

