Race control may order a team to remove a damaged car from the track

F1 teams use a lot of energy to exploit the loopholes in the FIA’s regulations, as the borderline cases of the regulations can bring a lot to a team. On its side, the FIA strives to anticipate the intentions of the teams as best as possible, or at least to amend the regulations when it detects issues during the races. This is how the FIA recently released an update to the regulations.

Extension of articles, a logical consequence

The FIA is therefore forced to regularly clarify its regulations a little more, in order to gradually exclude borderline cases that teams may exploit to gain an advantage. This has already happened this year with the end of the point for the fastest lap in the race. Red Bull took advantage in 2024 of having two teams: both teams agreed so that Lando Norris would not obtain the point for the fastest lap during the Singapore Grand Prix, thus reducing the risk of Max Verstappen not winning the drivers’ championship. This strategy was obviously immediately uncovered. Since the junior team was outside the points, it had no particular interest in bringing one of its drivers, Daniel Ricciardo, in to fit soft tires at the end of the race, except precisely to ensure that Lando Norris, who held the fastest lap at that time, did not earn an additional point.

Instead of prohibiting the ownership of several teams by the same group, the FIA chose a simpler solution: no longer awarding additional points for the fastest lap.

The case of damaged single-seaters

The strategy of continuing to drive with a damaged car to avoid a safety car, or even a red flag, and thus not penalize a teammate who has a certain lead over opponents has also already been used, and the FIA wants to put an end to it. In the previous regulation, the rule was: « If a driver encounters serious mechanical difficulties, they must leave the track as soon as it is safe to do so. » Thus, Sergio Perez received a three-place penalty for the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix after continuing to drive with a damaged car during the Canadian Grand Prix.

This safety rule has been extended in order to provide clarifications, and it now reads: « Any driver whose car has significant and obvious damage to a structural component, resulting in a condition posing an immediate risk to themselves or others, or whose car experiences a major failure or issue preventing them from reasonably returning to the pit lane without unnecessarily hindering another competitor or disrupting the race, must leave the track as soon as it is safe to do so. At the sole discretion of the race director, if a car is deemed to have significant and obvious damage to a structural component, or a major failure or problem, the competitor may be informed that the car must leave the track as soon as it is safe to do so. »

The last part, more specifically, allows the FIA to ensure that the decision to leave a car on track does not fall back to the team. However, there is still a vague section in this addition: « the car must leave the track as soon as it is possible to do so safely ». Teams may therefore assess that it was not possible for the driver to leave the track safely if bringing them into the pits is more beneficial for them.

The case of starting from the pit lane

A second rule complements the previous one. Previously, cars starting from the pit lane could gain an advantage depending on the situation: not being required to take part in the formation lap allowed them to save a bit of fuel, which could make a difference at the end of the race. Knowing in advance that one of their drivers would start from the pit lane, a team could adjust the amount of fuel carried. Moreover, during starts under a safety car in difficult conditions, teams could adapt their strategy during the formation lap and possibly change tires before the start. From now on, even cars starting from the pit lane will have to take part in the formation lap.

« When the green lights on the starting gantry illuminate, all cars on the grid able to do so must begin the formation lap, with the driver in pole position at the front. Upon leaving the grid, all drivers must adhere to the pit lane speed limit until they pass the pole position. »

« Once all the cars on track have passed the pit lane exit during the formation lap, the pit exit will be open and all cars starting from the pit lane that are able to do so must leave the pits and join the formation lap », now specifies Article 49.3 of the sporting regulations.