The FIA have made changes to the size of grid boxes ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, following penalties for drivers incorrectly lining up at the opening races of the season. Esteban Ocon was hit with a five-second penalty at the Bahrain Grand Prix for being out of position in his grid box. At the following event in Saudi Arabia, Fernando Alonso was given the same penalty for the same offence. In light of this, an FIA spokesperson told RacingNews365.com that grid boxes will now be 20cm wider in Melbourne. Additionally, there will also be a centre line to guide the driver as to where to park the car's nose. The images below show the grid in Australia with the modified grid box.
Grid box issue
Following his penalty for being out of position in Bahrain, Ocon revealed that he had spoken with the FIA to clarify the reason for his punishment. The Alpine driver also hinted at visibility problems caused by the new generation of Formula 1 cars. "I was [too far over to the right] basically, so that's where it could get confusing, because it was too much over to the right and over the line," Ocon told media, including RacingNews365.com . "Unfortunately, you can't see very well in these cars, especially not when you're on the grid like that. You can see the yellow line as a reference, but it is up to me to fix it."
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