should there be a distinction? (White line exiting the pits)

[Sonic]

With regards to the white line on pit exit. Should accidental and deliberate/lazy crossing of the mark be treated the same?

As I remember it this rule came about largely because of drivers exiting the pits and pulling straight onto the racing line (MS at canada springs to mind), but my question to you is should the punishment be the same regardless of circumstance? I think we'd all agree that rosberg didn't intend to cross the line and futher I think we'd all say he lost a heap of time by regaining the pit exit road. Is that punishment enough or should a drive through be applied to one and all regardless.

Be interested in your thoughts.

[SGWilko]

With regards to the white line on pit exit. Should accidental and deliberate/lazy crossing of the mark be treated the same?

As I remember it this rule came about largely because of drivers exiting the pits and pulling straight onto the racing line (MS at canada springs to mind), but my question to you is should the punishment be the same regardless of circumstance? I think we'd all agree that rosberg didn't intend to cross the line and futher I think we'd all say he lost a heap of time by regaining the pit exit road. Is that punishment enough or should a drive through be applied to one and all regardless.

Be interested in your thoughts.

Can you imageine a driver/team admitting to a deliberate line cross?

Wont work, keep the rule as it is.

[keysersoze]

I remember when Gerhard Berger exited the pits, stood on the gas, and the car immediately got away from him and he shot left across the track and shunted himself (hard!) out of the race. It may have been Portugal, perhaps Spain. Fortunately, he was unhurt.

Then Zanardi did it in a CART race and we all know how that turned out.

I guess they need some sort of way to contain the drivers--for their own safety.

[Sonic]

I remember when Gerhard Berger exited the pits, stood on the gas, and the car immediately got away from him and he shot left across the track and shunted himself (hard!) out of the race. It may have been Portugal, perhaps Spain. Fortunately, he was unhurt.

Then Zanardi did it in a CART race and we all know how that turned out.

I guess they need some sort of way to contain the drivers--for their own safety.

Yeah that was Portugal 1993 I believe.

The general thoughts here echo my own - either punish all equally or don't.

As keysersoze points out back in the good old days their was a nice metal barrier waiting to welcome the stupis or useless (Adelaide '95 anyone? ). I hadn't realised before but Mart Brundle mentioned the pit exit is a tunnel in Abu.......could be, err, fun!

[christophulus]

It's one of the few black and white rules the FIA have, along with the pitlane speeding, so it should always be punished regardless of whether it was an accident or not. Otherwise it'd open to a panel to decide if it was dangerous/gained an advantage.. that'd be painful!

Both Rosberg and Vettel's punishments were rightly given, but I think a drive-through is the wrong way to deal with it, it's just too arbitrary and can allow some to get away with no penalty (Webber, Germany), or ruin someone's race depending on a safety car.

I'm in favour of time penalties being added at the end of the race - a safety car just messes things up. The stewards need more flexibility in what punishments they can hand out, but first they'd have to prove they were impartial, sensible and above all, consistent! Anyone see that happening?

[MrJan]

It's a safety issue so crossing the line is dangerous no matter if you mean it or not. Rosberg was going too fast for the corner and could have caused a terrible accident if someone had been going through turn one.

Mistake or not it is a rule which has no grey area and that is exactly how it should remain.

[Knock-on]

I echo the other opinions here. It's pretty black and white no matter what the reason.

Either that or next it will be letting people off pit lane speeding because they ment to slow down but just made a mistake and were a bit late.

Or what about going off track and using run off areas "by mistake" to overtake during the start of a race and then rejoining.

Hang on a minute, they already let that one go so perhaps if a Ferrari crosses the line then it will be ignored if it's a "mistake"

[Steve2009]

The Singapore pit out is a little odd in that it has a radius that diminishes quite abruptly as the drivers start to accelerate!
Of course they know this and need to drive the exit they are given.
On cold tires, and a driver with a lot of other information to process I could see how it could be a problem! These are things the drivers have to be aware of, and it must be discussed in safety meetings.
Having said that; rules are rules. I suspect that configuration of the pit out is there to not let the drivers meld to quickly as it is a rather fast area of the course. MHO Nico deserved the penalty!
BTW I can’t wait for Suzuka A “proper" F1 course mokin: :

[CNR]

they would have no way of geting up to speed
WHAT IF you could come from the pit lane to the fast lane ? kull:

[penagate]

Does anyone else feel the pit lane at Marina Bay is on the wrong side of the track? Both entrance and exit are awkward. The exit would be a lot more straightforward if it simply went around the outside of turns 1 and 2, and then blended in to the race line through 3.

Of course, it may not be practical to put it on the other side of the road. (I haven't seen a decent picture or map of the area around it.)