The FIA prohibits overtaking at the exit of the Abu Dhabi circuit pits, opposing Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen's numerous overtakings, at the exit of the pit lane, have led the FIA to ban these maneuvers for safety reasons.
It is now forbidden to overtake in the pit lane exit at Abu Dhabi. Blame it on the three-time world champion Max Verstappen, who overtook many drivers in the narrow tunnel of the track during the second free practice session.
In EL2, Verstappen had overtaken George Russell before his path was blocked by Lewis Hamilton. The Dutch driver was dangerously close to hitting the wall during the maneuver. A few moments later, the triple world champion was held back by Pierre Gasly, before overtaking the Alpine driver at the pit exit.
Max Verstappen justified his action by accusing the other drivers. « I mean, they have to move. They’re all driving slow, and I want to get out because we’re limited by time, and they keep driving in the middle. Then, when I tried to pass, they tried to pin me against the wall », said the Red Bull driver.
« Overtaking is prohibited in the pit lane exit lane »
The action of the Dutchman did not constitute a violation of the FIA regulations. However, the possibility of seeing the Red Bull driver or another one stuck in this tunnel raises questions about the maintenance of circuit safety.
Niels Wittich, the race director, has decided to ban overtaking in this section of the circuit. « Overtaking is prohibited in the pit lane exit, unless a car slows down with an obvious problem », Wittich explained in a letter addressed to the teams.
This is not the first time that Max Verstappen has pushed the FIA to modify its regulations. In 2016, during his first season with Red Bull, the former driver number 33 had the habit of changing his trajectory several times in the braking zones. As a result of his maneuvers, the FIA decided to prohibit and penalize this type of action on the track.
