Race director Niels Wittich explained that for safety reasons the pit lane in Baku will start well before the entrance and cannot be intentionally crossed by the driver
To avoid any doubts during the Azerbaijan GP, as happened in Monaco involving Max Verstappen, the FIA (International Automobile Federation) decided to clarify for the drivers which lines cannot be crossed at the pit lane entrance in Baku. Race director Niels Wittich explained that, for safety reasons, the entire pit lane will start well before the entrance and continue through the pit lane, and drivers are not allowed to intentionally cross it.
In the past, the rulebook prohibited the driver from driving with his wheel over the white line under any circumstances. However, the rule has changed, and now, in order to be sanctioned, the driver must deliberately cross the track with his tire. Therefore, Ferrari's protest in Monte Carlo alleging irregularities in Verstappen's return to the track after the pit-stop was not accepted.
In Baku, however, another situation happens: the driver can pass over the pit-lane entrance line on a fast lap, so a deceleration there could result in a dangerous situation. Therefore, in addition to the white stripes, Wittich explained that the pit entrance will also have a dashed part that cannot be crossed.
The intention is to prevent drivers on a fast lap from moving too far to the left and not being too close to the wall. The driver who goes to his stop will therefore be obliged to change the line, respecting the limits.
The bollard placed in the corners also delimits how far the driver can pass, although it allows them to attack the zebra more aggressively. The FIA has also made a modification to the entrance to turn 15, removing the zebra on the right-hand side.