In Britain a television advertisement depicted a group of pals excitedly watching football on television, one of then yelling VAR! in utter frustration as a favoured team’s apparent goal was questioned. VAR stands for Video Assistant Referee, and it’s used as an electronic arbitrator that’s as popular as a shark in a swimming pool.

Formula One’s exasperating equivalent is usually Safety Car! But over the Austrian Grand Prix weekend it was most definitely Track Limits! Besides official observers whose role is to report infringements to the race stewards, the governing FIA now also employs a technical team in Geneva whose task is to examine all such violations electronically.