New F1 Rules

trendkill

Some New F1 rules :
http://www.planetf1.com/story/0,18954,3265_1966036,00.html

One just doesnt make sense:
"* There is also a new safety car rule, specifically that as soon as the safety car moves on to the track, the pit lane is closed.

It is only opened again once all the cars have lined up behind the safety car."

Okay, half way through a race, 3 - 4 cars get involved in a tussle just after the first corner (say 1 lap behind the leader) , one goes out, the other 2-3 are relatively damaged, i.e front wings broken and hanging off, barge boards etc (possibly unsuspected suspension damage!..... so until all the remaining cars line up behind the safety car.... (which would mean these cars may have to drive 1- 2 laps to get behind the safety car) they would not be allowed pit and become a danger to other cars, such as carbon fibre debris coming off the cars via gravity or dragging off the tarmac, with the pressures down in the tyres, this could be extremely dangerous, as the drivers wouldnt know if they had picked up a slow puncture etc until the safety car pull away and the tyres come up in temperature.....

now add this onto the other rule:
"In addition, lapped drivers then have to overtake any drivers ahead of them who are on the lead lap. They also overtake the safety car, drive an additional lap and rejoin the field at the back.

The safety car stays out until at least this process is completed."

with bodywork hanging off their cars and front wings in tow!!! before they can pit they would have to do all this...
there's gonna be some great races this year methinks!!!

Seems really dangerous to me... and crazy..... are the FIA trying to kill a driver or something
Maybe now is the time that the FIA introduce tyre pressure sensors for the teams...?

smashey

The new safety car rule is a bit ridiculous. It seems that it could be a (relatively) long process from when it appears until it leaves.

Ghost Train

Actually the safety car rule mightn't be too bad and I can see why it might be needed. One trick the teams had been using under the safety car was to send their leading driver into the pits first, their second driver then slows down to give the first car time to refuel change tyres and avoid pit lane ques and competition. Under the new rules its fairer and cars don't get backed up by a driver making time for his team mate pitstop, might result in more direct pitlane battles and strategy under safety car.

It good that back markers won't interfer with leading drivers anymore when the race restarts, that can ruin a race, I would worry about how long it will take to reorder the cars and the confusion about race order with the lapped traffic getting laps back etc

Also if a car is damaged I'd be surprised if it can't pit even if the pits are closed, will need to check that

edit: Cars can't "refuel" in pitlane when it closed

40.6 From the time at which the "SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED" message is displayed no car may enter the pit lane for the purpose of refuelling until all cars on the track have formed up in a line behind the safety car and the message "PIT LANE OPEN" is shown on the timing monitors. A ten second time penalty (see Article 16.3b) will be imposed on any driver who enters the pit lane and whose car is refuelled before the second message is shown on the timing monitors. However, any car which was in the pit entry or pit lane
when the safety car was deployed will not incur a penalty.
If it is deemed necessary for the safety car to use the pit lane (see 40.11 below) cars following it will not incur a penalty but may not stop in their designated garage areas for the purpose of refuelling until the message "PIT LANE OPEN" is shown on the timing monitors. A ten second time penalty will be imposed on any driver who stops in his designated garage area and whose car is refuelled before the second message is shown on the timing monitors.
40.7 Any car being driven unnecessarily slowly, erratically or which is deemed potentially dangerous to other drivers at any time whilst the safety car is deployed will be reported to the stewards. This will apply whether any such car is being driven on the track, the pit entry or the pit lane.


40.12 When the clerk of the course considers it safe to do so, and the message "LAPPED CARS MAY NOW OVERTAKE" is shown on the timing monitors, any lapped cars which were between the cars running on the lead lap at the time the safety car was deployed (and also remain in that position) will be required to pass the cars on the lead lap and the safety car. They must then proceed around the track at an appropriate speed, without overtaking, and take up position at the back of the line of cars behind the safety car.

Only cars that are a head of any car on the lead lap in the que behind safety car may overtake saefty car

Robbo

If you enter the pits when they're "closed", there's a 10 second time penalty.

Ghost Train

Having to use both specification of dry tyre during a dry race is an interesting rule, hopefully it will be easy to see which type of tyre a car is using at a certain point in the race

each tyre supplier must undertake to provide no more than two specifications of dry-weather tyre at each Event, each of which must be of one homogenous compound and visibly distinguishable from one another when a car is on the track.

AdMMM

Isn't there only one Tyre supplier this year though?

Ghost Train

|.Murderer.| wrote:

Isn't there only one Tyre supplier this year though?

yes, but they obviously still want the tyres to be a factor in the races, so the teams will get a few sets of hard tyres and a few sets of soft tyres and during the race will have to use at least one set of each compound

part f) is where it says it

25.5 Use of tyres
a) Each team will be allocated eight sets of dry-weather tyres, four of each specification, for use during P1 and P2. These are the only dry-weather tyres which may be used during these sessions and must be returned to the tyre supplier before the start of P3.
b) Each driver will be allocated ten further sets of dry-weather tyres, five of each specification, for use during the remainder of the Event. However, one set of each specification must be returned to the tyre supplier before the start of the qualifying practice session and may not be used during the
remainder of the Event. 2007 F1 Sporting Regulations 13 of 39 5th March 2007
c) Each team will be allocated two sets of wet and two sets of extreme-weather tyres for use during P1 and P2. These are the only wet and extreme-weather tyres which may be used during these sessions and, unless they remain unused, must be returned to the tyre supplier before the start of P3.
d) Each driver will be allocated four further sets of wet-weather tyres and three sets of extreme-weather tyres for use during the remainder of the Event. Unused wet or extreme-weather tyres which were allocated for use during P1 and P2 may form part of this allocation.
e) Prior to the start of the qualifying practice session wet and extreme-weather tyres may only be used after the track has been declared wet by the race director, following which extreme, wet or dryweather tyres may be used for the remainder of the session.
f) Unless he has used wet or extreme-weather tyres during the race, each driver must use at least one set of each specification of dry-weather tyres during the race.

christophicus

Some of the drivers ( coulthard is one i think) have said that having to use both sets of tyres is actually not going to do much. He said that teams will just run soft tyres at teh start because this is when the majority of teh positions are decided more or less.

Also that new pitstop rule to me seems quit bad. i always loved seeing which teams were quick on the ball to get their cars in , it was alot more exciting I think

Scober11

The more they mess around with the rules and try to manufacture good racing the more sterile F1 becomes. Why not just let them lash around and the fastest one wins.

AdMMM

Scober11 wrote:

The more they mess around with the rules and try to manufacture good racing the more sterile F1 becomes. Why not just let them lash around and the fastest one wins.

Because I'd imagine that that would lead once again to soaring costs

stever

What is the new penalty for a broken engine? I heard the 10 place drop has been abolished.

Ghost Train

stever wrote:

What is the new penalty for a broken engine? I heard the 10 place drop has been abolished.

still ten places. The teams on friday though can use a different engine, friday have been made into a more of a test day

boyracer87

The drivers will be able to go into the pits during the safety car for "essential mantinence"....i.e. broken wing, flat tyre etc....there will be no penelty for this...