Seventy-six laps were deleted in FP1 in Austin as drivers strayed beyond the painted while lines defining the edge of the track with all four wheels.
This led to concerns that track limits would be a major talking point for the second round in a row, with the Qatar weekend dogged by laps being deleted in qualifying and penalties dished out in the GP.
Amid pressure from competitors during the Friday night drivers’ briefing in the USA, the FIA significantly widened the lines at Turns 9, 12 and 19 to allow for “extra margin”, per the governing body.
In the 19-lap sprint race, 17 laps were deleted. This reduction left drivers to praise the quick response but they were insistent that a longer-term solution needed to be introduced.
Asked by Autosport for his verdict, Valtteri Bottas said: “It makes it slightly easier. There's just a bit more flexibility on the line.
“But still, the issue is it is a track that there's multiple corners where if you go wide, you gain an advantage, and everyone is pushing the limit. So there needs to be a hard limit, whether it's a gravel strip, or whether it's a sausage kerb. It’s the issue with the track.”
Source: Autosport