The FIA has clamped down on the number and type of pit-to-driver radio messages permitted during races. But what’s allowed and what is forbidden? We had a look at the very latest regulations and attempt to shed some light on what is a murky new set of rules.
Last week teams were told that any radio transmissions related to theperformance of the car or driver would be a breach of Article 20.1 of the sporting regulations, which stTe “the driver must drive the car alone and unaided.”
The FIA then issued a long list of banned messages. Howsever the list has now been revised after the FIA met with team managers and decided to delayrestricting car performance messages until next season due to the complexity fo bringing in the new rules at such short notice.
The list of don’ts looks like this:
- Driving lines on the circuit.
- Contact with the curbs.
- Car set up parameters for specific corners.
- Comparative or absolute sector time details for another driver.
- Speeds in corners compared to another driver.
- Gear selection compared with another driver.
- Gear selection in general.
- Braking points.
- Rate of braking compared to another driver.
- Rate of braking or application of brakes in general.
- Car stability under braking.
- Throttle application compared to another driver.
- Throttle application in general.
- Use of DRS compared with a nother driver.
- Use of any overtake button.
- Driving technique in general.
It is expected that certain types of potentially contentious messages will still be allowed. These include:
- Acknowledgement that a driver message has been heard.
- Lap or sector time detail.
- Lap time detail of a competitor.
- Gaps to a competitor during a practice session or race.
- “Push hard”, “push now”, “you will be racing xx” or similar.
- Helping with warning of traffic during a practice session or race.
- Giving the gaps between cars in qualifying so as to better position the car for a clear lap.
- Puncture warning.
- Tyre choice at the next pit stop.
- Number of laps a competitor has done on a set of tyres during a race.
- Tyre specification of a competitor.
- Indication of a potential problem with a competitor’s car during a race.
- Information concerning a competitors likely race strategy.
- Yellow flags, blue flags, Safety Car deployment or other cautions.
Hopefully that all makes sense. Essentially, any message that gives driver direct advice on how to drive faster will be banned. Naturally though, we fully expect teams to find ways around these banned communications, or for them to unwittingly fall foul of the new rules.
Expect an even more thorough list of banned messages to appear in time for the 2015 season.
Leave a Reply