Hey all. This is for discussing overtaking off track. I think the general consensus is that overtaking "off-track" is generally only regarded in the event that a driver takes a shortcut and goes on the inside runoff at a corner. And we know that drivers can run wide for example at Catalunya Turn 7 or at the exit of Ascari at Monza, But what about overtaking on the outside runoff? For example, Kimi's usual starting line in Spa. That, arguably though, actually lengthens his line and slows him down, and it usually only benefits him if there is a melee off the starting grid.
I know a move like Alonso on Kubica this year in Silverstone is generally frowned upon.
But for example, say, Hockenheim this year. I'm not sure how many people noticed, but Lewis was up to 4th at the start, behind Vettel. Mark Webber was in 5th, then he took to the outside runoff, as did Lewis, still in 4th and 5th. But when they rejoined the track, Mark rejoined in 4th and Lewis in 5th, so the position change was done off track at the runoff. What's the view on that?
This happened again at the end of lap 1 in Spa. Kubica, Vettel and Button missed the braking for the busstop, and ran deep into the runoff. Button then sort of did a u-turn to rejoin the track back where he left it, and take the chicane properly, and Kubica and Vettel rejoined the track ahead of the chicane, in effect, passing Button "off-track"
Also, someone said to me that the Barrichello pass on Schumi (the Shuey-chop aside) when Barrichello went up close to the pitwall and outside the white line, it was ok to rejoin the track between the white lines ahead of Schumi as it wasn't on the inside of a corner.
Finally, we saw many times this year (especially in Canada) that drivers cut across the no-man's land at the last chicane before the wall of champs, and successfully defended their position because of this. Shouldn't this also garner a penalty? Martin Brundle often mentions it too, that he sees the advantage of that being as big as gaining a place by "failing to lose a place"
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