2015: An Overview of Regulatory Changes in F1

The FIA has published the 2015 regulations and the major change is the implementation of a virtual safety car procedure (VSC in English). This idea was proposed particularly following the accident involving Jules Bianchi at Suzuka, and it is intended to slow down the drivers without deploying the safety car on the track.

After successful tests conducted during the last free practice sessions of the season, this new point was approved by the teams. It has therefore been officially incorporated into the 2015 Formula 1 regulations.

Virtual safety car

Article 41 specifies the operating mode of the virtual safety car and indicates that it will be deployed when double yellow flags are required in any section of the track and competitors or officials may be in danger, but the circumstances do not warrant the use of the safety car.

When the system is activated by race control, it will be displayed on various circuit boards for the drivers. Drivers will not be allowed to pit unless it’s to change tires, and they must stay above a minimum time set by the FIA in the circuit sectors. If they do not comply, they will be penalized.

When the period ends, the teams will be informed, and between 10 and 15 seconds later, the logo will disappear from the trackside screens, which will then display a green flag.

Safety car

The minimum lap times that exist during a safety car intervention are still in effect, and drivers can be penalized, under Article 40.7, with: a 5-second penalty during a pit stop, a 10-second penalty during a stop, a drive-through, or a 10-second stop-and-go.

At the end of the safety car intervention, it will no longer wait for the lapped cars that have been allowed to overtake it to rejoin the back of the pack.

Note that standing starts after the intervention of the safety car, which were discussed at one time, are not included in the 2015 regulations.

Double points

The measure put in place – to intensify the fight for the title – for the last race of the 2014 season – held in Abu Dhabi – was removed for the 2015 season.

Reconnaissance and training tours

Drivers who start from the pit lane now have the opportunity to complete reconnaissance laps of the track before the race.

During the formation lap, if a driver loses their position, they may reclaim it but must do so before crossing the safety car’s first line; otherwise, they will be penalized with a 10-second stop-and-go.

Sortie non sécurisée

When a car is released unsafely from its position in the pit lane – unsafe release in English – the driver can now be penalized with a 10-second stop-and-go. An additional penalty could be imposed on the driver if they continue in the pit lane against a competitor knowing they have been released unsafely.

Qualifying session with 18 cars

While the race stewards had to adapt at the end of 2014 with qualifying sessions for 18 or 20 cars, as the regulations did not specify anything on this matter, now, the fact of having 7 eliminations after Q1 and Q2 with 24 cars, 6 for 22 cars, and so on, is now written into the F1 rules.

Parc Fermé

From now on, the Parc Fermé restrictions will begin with the qualifying session and no longer at the start of the Free Practice 3. Additionally, if a part needs to be replaced under Parc Fermé conditions, the part must be similar in design, weight, inertia, and function to the original. This clarification likely follows the brake disc change made by Hamilton in Germany, where he switched from one manufacturer to another.

Adjustment of fuel level

From now on, teams cannot remove or add fuel to a single-seater on the grid, as specified in Article 29.1 (b).

Suspension of the race

As was the case notably in Suzuka, now in the event of a race suspension, the drivers will no longer line up on the grid but will head to the pits. Additionally, they must stay in the pit lane to avoid receiving a drive-through penalty.

When a race exceeds the two-hour limit, the checkered flag will be presented on the lap following the one where the limit was reached, and not the same lap as before.

The use of current cars for demonstrations

The teams will now be able to use the current single-seaters during two demonstration sessions per year, but they must take place after the last race of the year and before the end of the year. The session cannot cover a distance of more than 15 kilometers and must be conducted with specific tires.

Penalties related to a power unit

As a reminder, as previously announced, if a driver receives a penalty that they cannot fully serve during a race, it will not be carried over to the previous race but will be converted into a penalty for the race – as was the case for Grosjean during the last round of the year in Abu Dhabi.