New Safety Car Rule

[wedge]

One idea F1 doesn't need to copy from NASCAR/Indycars is closing the pit/pit windows.

Sorry if it's been discussed before but I just learnt of this over the weekend.

[Allyc85]

rubbish isnt it, it just seems like the FIA get bored over the winter and decide that they have to make rubbish changes.

[millencolin]

its a crap rule... what were the FIA smoking when they thought this one up?

[tinchote]

I'm not sure about this. In the past, in pace-car situations, things happened that felt unfair. The new rules will likely prevent some of those things, and it will surely introduce new issues. Whatever

[Hawkmoon]

I agree that it's not needed and only complicates matters.

I think it's got something to do with safety but as they're still allowed to change tyres I can't see how preventing refueling helps with safety in any way.

Letting the backmarkers pass the safety car is OK but how does the safety car know which cars are backmarkers? Or is it only the back markers who are ahead of the leader on the track when the safety car is deployed?

I can't see the new safety car rules working any better than the stupid tyre rules, which had absolutely no effect on the racing whatsoever.

[jens]

Unlike in Champ Car team-mates don't have different pit stop areas, so it looks that this rule basically tries to destroy the races of those, who are behind their team-mates. If I understood the point correctly, then for example if SC appears, then pits are closed at the start of it. For example Ferraris run 1-2 and when they all pit together during SC session, then second Ferrari will have to wait behind his mate and drops somewhere to 9th for example.

[ioan]

Unlike in Champ Car team-mates don't have different pit stop areas, so it looks that this rule basically tries to destroy the races of those, who are behind their team-mates. If I understood the point correctly, then for example if SC appears, then pits are closed at the start of it. For example Ferraris run 1-2 and when they all pit together during SC session, then second Ferrari will have to wait behind his mate and drops somewhere to 9th for example.

It's still better than if the driver does a lap behind the safety car and then comes to pit, he would be assured to have last place.

[jens]

It's still better than if the driver does a lap behind the safety car and then comes to pit, he would be assured to have last place.

In these days they usually won't do an extra lap behind SC. By the time SC comes out, which forces to pit, the gaps are big enough that even waiting behind team-mate for 10 secs would cost max 3-4 positions at worst scenario.

But if everyone is forced to pit at the same time and in a tight group, we will have about 8 different teams in Top8 after the stops... Maybe even full Top11 if everyone manages to make back that gap to leader during one SC lap and every team has at least one driver remaining on the circuit.

[Garry Walker]

really stupid rule!

[tinchote]

I find it stupid that a car would be forced to wait behind his teammate. But, whatever, just one more stupid rule