Teams preventing SC rule change

**BDunnell** · 9th June 2008, 20:14

Originally Posted by ArrowsFA1

It's ironic that these kind of issues were raised a year ago. Felipe Massa, who was penalised for ignoring the red light along with Fisichella, said then: ""What sense does it make? Was I supposed to stay stopped while the race went on?"

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/59664

And, with hindsight, he was absolutely right.

I think it was in a British Touring Car race some years ago in which a similar thing happened — the pit exit was closed for some reason (possibly because the queue of cars was going past behind the SC), but the car at the front of those wanting to exit the pits stalled and blocked the exit for those behind. I don't especially want to see that happening in an F1 race!

**aryan** · 9th June 2008, 22:24

The pitlane exit has nothing to do with this incident.

The train was moving at that point and that's why the red light was on.

Under any other SC rule, the same would have been the case.

The SC rules are fine as they are.

**BDunnell** · 9th June 2008, 22:25

Originally Posted by aryan

The pitlane exit has nothing to do with this incident.

The train was moving at that point and that's why the red light was on.

Under any other SC rule, the same would have been the case.

The SC rules are fine as they are.

How far along the pit straight was the train? Again, I can't remember.

**Bleu** · 9th June 2008, 22:42

Originally Posted by BDunnell

How far along the pit straight was the train? Again, I can't remember.

At the time Hamilton hit Räikkönen, driver on the hairpin was Trulli. There was three drivers behind him: Glock, Fisichella and Vettel.

**Bobby_Hamlin** · 10th June 2008, 13:26

Originally Posted by aryan

The pitlane exit has nothing to do with this incident.

The train was moving at that point and that's why the red light was on.

Under any other SC rule, the same would have been the case.

The SC rules are fine as they are.

What we're actually saying is that the pitlane infrastructure in F1 isn't conducive to pitting so many cars at close quarters and then having them stop and queue at a red light whilst potentially battling for position with another car.

With rules (from 2007 season on) now meaning the pits are closed and the cars pack up behind the SC before the pits open it exacerbates the situation - in previous years cars would immediately pit (if necessary) and yes, we did occasionally see cars queuing at their teams pit box but given the field spread prior to the SC being deployed there wasn't the volume there is now. There wasn't a train to wait for either because it hadn't been established yet.

Clearly the pitlane exit played a part in the particular incident in Canada regardless of the reason (red light), which we are all aware of and especially of why it was on (the train). It is not true to say, in my opinion, that it would happen under any SC rules and I would like to see a rethink.

**jens** · 10th June 2008, 14:09

I may understand, why there are those, who like the current SC rules. As the results of the majority of the races are quite similar, then folks are happy to see underdogs getting a decent result at times, even if the achievement itself was a fluke and hardly deserved.

There is no way Wurz in 2007 and DC in 2008 Canadian Grand Prixs would have ended on podium with the previous SC rule. Actually they would have been in trouble to make it into the points!

Safety car appearance itself is unfair to the leaders, because they lose all their time advantage they have gained. Why must it be even more unfair by besides losing time advantage they also lose track position?