US GP Austin

[chavez]

While one may laugh and look down upon the track limit regulations in IndyCar and NASCAR, it would appear, at least at COTA they get it right - no argument, no doubt, no inconsistencies, and perhaps most importantly, the spectator is not left dazed and confused by calls that require an intimate knowledge of the sporting regulations to understand.

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by Teretonga

But if they run another driver off in an overtake they get penalized 5 seconds.
If you run another driver off the track and go off yourself, then the other driver regains the track before you do the overtake rule should be negated.
That is common sense.
If we are having a legalistic interpretation of general racing etiquette, then the sport is in a very sad place.
I served 10 years in national competition as a race official and I would NEVER have done what these officials did under general rules of racing etiquette.
Its a nonsense.

Your first two points seem to be judged by the current system on who gained an advantage - if you overtake someone by running them off the track, you gain the advantage and thus if you don't redress, you are penalised. If you are defending and run the other driver wide but the other driver rips off into the run off and regains in front of you, then they have gained the advantage and if they don't redress, they get penalised. The other driver had the choice (in at least some cases) to stay behind as well.

All interpretations by the stewards are legalistic by nature, so we get what we get. I think that the racing rules could be much better than they are and also circuits designed better would assist.