The FIA has made some minor changes to the pit rules during a safety car period to stop drivers gaining an advantage.
A rule introduced last year meant drivers had to circulate the track at a specified speed to ensure they didn’t gain an unfair advantage by speeding up to the rear of the pack unsafely.
This has now been extended over two laps, giving drivers and officials more time for the field to form behind the SC.
“The safety car speed limit (an approximate 40% decrease in lap time) will now be enforced over two laps instead of one,” read a statement. “The purpose is to ensure that cars are driven at a safe speed until they reach the safety car.”
The pit rules have also been tweaked. The pitlane will remain green for the duration of an SC period, meaning drivers won’t be held up by a red light if their stop coincides with an incident.
“During a safety car period the pit exit light will remain green for the duration, unless the race is subsequently suspended.
“Other than when the safety car has been asked to use the pit lane, no car may enter the pits while the safety car is deployed unless it is for the purpose of changing tyres,” the statement added.
Discussion about this post