In a transfer designed to spice up security throughout on-track incidents, the FIA is introducing stricter pace restrictions underneath a Security Automotive or Digital Security Automotive in areas of monitor the place waved double yellow flags are being proven.
This motion is being taken following analysis and evaluation of earlier incidents and session with Formulation 1 groups and drivers.
Consistent with the FIA Worldwide Sporting Code double waved yellow flags are proven when there “is a hazard wholly or partly blocking the monitor and/or marshals engaged on or beside the monitor”. Previously, the flags have required drivers to “scale back your pace considerably, don’t overtake, and be ready to alter route or cease.”
Nevertheless, from this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix that requirement will develop into extra exact and strictly enforceable, with drivers now being required to satisfy a set most pace restrict in areas the place double yellow flags are being displayed.
“What we need to do is to offer drivers with a instrument to assist them throughout incidents and to make races even safer,” explains FIA Technical Director, Tim Goss, who has overseen the undertaking.
“For some years with the Security Automotive and Digital Security Automotive we’ve used delta occasions, a reference to a pace restrict that we’ve across the monitor. So, when there’s a bodily or digital security automotive, the drivers are knowledgeable of that delta time on their dashboard show and by radio tones and so they have to take care of a optimistic worth, which means they’re slower than the reference time for the lap. Nevertheless, there are events the place vehicles can legitimately quickly enhance their pace to get better any time they’ve misplaced relative to this reference time.
“What we need to do now’s to increase the usage of the delta time idea to make sure that vehicles are strictly slowed to the required delta time when double waved yellow flags are proven underneath a Digital Security Automotive or Security Automotive, so we’re introducing a devoted reference pace restrict within the space the place these flags are displayed.”
Earlier this yr the FIA accomplished intensive monitor testing at completely different venues, with evaluation revealing that the moist security automotive reference pace restrict would obtain a very good step in security.
“Below a Digital Security Automotive, when a driver enters the double yellow, what he sees on the dashboard is zero, so the delta time resets, and he then has to drive under the brand new pace restrict,” explains FIA Head of F1 Electronics, Olivier Hulot. “And he once more will get a optimistic or destructive delta relative to that pace restrict. So it is the identical precept as earlier than, besides that it is particular to a double yellow zone.”
The restriction will not catch the drivers without warning both, with drivers alerted on their dashboard show and by radio tones to the presence of upcoming zones of double yellow flags.
“Now we have already introduced in a system of warnings for yellow and double yellow. The motive force will get a warning within the marshalling sector forward of the yellow or the double yellow. That has been profitable already and can assist with the brand new system.”
Whereas Hulot admits that there may sometimes be a efficiency loss for vehicles slowed by a quick interval of double yellows security would be the winner.
“Lack of efficiency relative to others – if a automotive goes by way of a double yellow, however not one other one and that automotive has to decelerate, it’s shedding time relative to rivals. Nevertheless, for the FIA security is paramount and when there’s a hazard on the monitor or marshals on monitor then we’ve to minimise the dangers it doesn’t matter what.”
