Explained: Why was Charles Leclerc's qualifying lap time deleted, but Sergio Perez's and Oscar Piastri's weren't?
Track limits caused major drama at the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP as Charles Leclerc was eliminated in Q2 after a violation on his final lap. Whereas Sergio Perez and Oscar Piastri were given mini heart attacks following deleted lap times that were later reinstated. But why were Piastri and Perez's time reinstated and Leclerc’s wasn't?
The FIA rules regarding track limits state that:
“Drivers must make every reasonable effort to use the track at all times and may not leave the track without a justifiable reason. Drivers will be judged to have left the track if no part of the car remains in contact with it and, for the avoidance of doubt, any white lines defining the track edges are considered to be part of the track but the kerbs are not.”
Coming into the first turn at the Abu Dhabi GP (fast left) the drivers tend to overstep the track limits. Subsequently, the drivers try to use higher speed through the corner in an effort to run wide. Perez, Leclerc, and Piastri all went off at the corner in Q1, Q2 and Q3 respectively. Looking back at the replays, it's clear that the Monegasque driver went further outside the limits compared to his Mexican and Australian counterparts.
The white lines define the track limits for the driver. At first glance, it looks like all three drivers have stepped outside the white lines. However, the rules suggest that a driver must always have some part of the car inside the track limits i.e. on or over the white lines. While Checo and Piastri had all tires off the track at some moment, the four of them were not out at the same time whereas, in Charles Leclerc's case, they were.
F1 Analyst Sam Collins uploaded a comparison of all three track limit incidents on his X account. He detailed that Perez and Piastri had no contact patch on the white line but the bulge in the tire was. The tire bulges due to the massive amount of lateral and circular forces out through the tire.
Charles Leclerc was well away from the white lines and even a bulge couldn't save him from getting his lap time deleted. The 27-year-old will now start the race from the last position after getting a 10-place grid drop for using a new battery from outside the allocation.
“It's a difficult one to take”: Charles Leclerc details the disappointment at the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP after lap time deletion
Ferrari and McLaren are tied up in an epic constructor's championship fight. Ferrari is only 21 points behind the Woking outfit coming into the Abu Dhabi GP weekend. However, Ferrari hasn't qualified particularly well and with McLaren locking out the front row, they have a mountain to climb. Charles Leclerc reflected on the qualifying session and how the component penalty and deleted lap time put him and Ferrari on the back foot.
Charles Leclerc said (via F1TV):
“I’m not feeling, obviously, great. It’s a difficult one to take and it’s obviously definitely not the right moment for this to happen between the engine penalty and lap time [being] deleted. We are not in the strongest position tomorrow, but I’ll give it all to try and turn this situation around tomorrow. Obviously, this one is on me. It’s not been an easy weekend, but I still feel everything is possible and I’ll do my best.”
Overtaking around the Yas Marina circuit is comparatively easier with the two consecutive straights and will grant Leclerc the opportunity to move up the grid.