The FIA has issued revisions to the Formula 1 Sporting Regulations in response to incidents involving Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz at April’s Chinese Grand Prix.
The first change comes in response to Alonso’s penalty during the China Sprint, issue for causing a collision with Sainz during the short-race format.
Alonso was handed a 10-second time penalty, which had no effect given the Spaniard retired from the Sprint.
As it was a Sprint, Alonso’s penalty couldn’t be converted to a grid drop, as would usually be the case in a GP format, but the FIA has altered the regulations to allow this.
“If any of [above] penalties above are imposed upon a driver, and that driver is unable to serve the penalty due to being unclassified in the sprint session or the race in the case of a) or b) or due to retirement from the sprint session or the race in the case of c) or d), the stewards may impose a grid place penalty on the driver at their next race,” a new clause in the regulations reads.
Moreover, Sainz’s spin during qualifying for the Chinese GP raised another issue which Aston Martin elected to protest against when the Ferrari driver came to a halt on the start/finish straight before continuing to qualify.
“Any driver whose car stops on the track during the qualifying session or the sprint qualifying will not be permitted to take any further part in that session,” read the rules at the time of Sainz’s incident and that formed the basis of Aston Martin’s unsuccessful protest.
To avoid further debate, the FIA has altered this rule, which now reads: “Any driver whose car stops in any area other than the pit lane during the qualifying session or the sprint qualifying session and receives physical assistance will not be permitted to take any further part in that session.”
This new alteration makes Sainz’s action legal under the new regulations, it raises further questions as to why the Spaniard was allowed to continue qualifying in Shanghai.
Still, moving forward, should such an incident occur again, the FIA has made sure everyone is clear regarding what can and can’t be done as per the regulation.
The FIA has also made alterations to the sporting regulations, stating what should be done in a red flag procedure in the event the entrance to the pits is blocked.
“In exceptional circumstances, for reasons of safety the pit entry may be closed before cars have returned to the pit lane,” the revision says.
“In such circumstances all cars must proceed slowly to the starting grid, the first car to arrive on the grid should occupy pole position and others should fill the remaining grid positions in the order they arrive.
“The remainder of the procedures detailed in Articles 57.3, 57.4, 57.5 and 58 shall remain unchanged, but will be conducted on the grid instead of in the fast lane.”
The changes to the sporting regulations were made with the approval of the FIA World Motorsport Council.
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