FIA Clamping down on radio communication relating to Driver performance

[Josh]

Give 'em a fuel gauge and if they think the tyres are shot they signal to the guy with the pit board they are coming in next lap or turn up in the pit box and wait for someone to bring the tyres out. The driver can then decide when to push and if he gets it wrong he's stuffed his race. Hamilton was told to "hold station and push at the end" in Monza but pushed on the new rubber and forced Rosberg in to a mistake, took the lead and won. If he had listened to the pit advice chances are he wouldn't have won the race.

Actually, as has been mentioned many times, Mercedes issued a later message (which was coincidentally not broadcast) and told Lewis he could push.

 

[Josh]

I think

A) F1 is by its nature a team sport, even though sometimes we wish it wasn't, and this rule "clarification" makes it less of a team sport.
B) This is a rule which leaves a lot up to the interpretation of the stewards (what is a coded message?) which makes it a poor one and is sure to cause drama at some point, but I'm sure the FIA totally didn't think of that.
C) I don't think it'll change as much as people think (hope?). Despite all of the jokes (haha Chilton is so bad right?) these are still some of the best drivers in the world, they know how the cars work, they know how their tyres work, and they know how much fuel they have. Speaking of fuel...
D) The FIA does not want teams to tell their drivers how much fuel saving is needed, but teams only have 100kg of fuel for the races, which, if memory serves me correctly, is not enough to finish most if not all of the races. Are teams allowed to tell the drivers how much fuel is left? This is not explicitly mentioned in the list of permitted messages. Does this fall under "Information on level of fuel saving needed"? Because drivers have no way of telling how much fuel they have left unless the team tells them.
E) STOP CHANGING THE RULES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON FFS

A very poorly thought out rule "clariication" in my opinion, only pushed through now to make the fans happy. I'm all for less radio messages and giving more power to the drivers but I wish they would have waited until the end of the season.

 

[siffert_fan]

According to planetf1.com, Bernie is claiming that HE is responsible for the new rule.

 

[sushifiesta]

Massa shares my views, there are things that are simply impossible for the drivers to control without help from the team in the current regulations:
http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/175635.html

 

[teabagyokel]

Seen some ideas floating around that the technicals will be allowed but the coaching won't.

 

[cider_and_toast]

So you can give a driver a technical instruction to change an engine map that would help at some stage of the race and that is considered fine but you couldn't tell him to change gear 100 yards earlier going into a turn? It has to be all or none at all. Otherwise, what's the point?

 

[soccerman17]

The point is that these cars are so incredibly complex its damn near impossible to drive fast while trying to figure out engine mapping and technical stuff like that. So they're at least making the drivers drive and the engineers engineer.

 

[siffert_fan]

All of the technical stuff (engine mapping etc) should be done before the car ever starts the race, leaving the driver to actually drive!

One of the justifications for motor racing has always been that it produces technologies that benefit street cars. How does driver-alterable engine mapping, brake balance, weight jacking etc have any relevance to what anyone will ever drive on the street?

 

[Mephistopheles]

I would say that telling a driver how much fuel he has used is okay but telling him to save fuel or how to save fuel is not, so we shouldn't hear messages such as lift and coast into turns 5,7 and 9 for the life of me I don't see any ambiguity in this, everyone knows the difference between information and an instruction or at least they bloody well should do once they are above the age of six years old.

The teams are coming out with this ambiguity crap to try and confuse the issue before it has even been tried...

 

[Brogan]

The FIA will be making an announcement tomorrow with revised rules.

It will now be permissible to pass information relating to the ERS, brakes, etc. to drivers.

Another half-baked complete fuck up by the FIA, as usual.

http://www1.skysports.com/f1/news/1...ue-a-further-clarification-on-radio-clampdown

 

[F1Yorkshire]

The easiest solution is the one that has already been mentioned. No pit to car radios. No ambiguity there at all. If they really need radio contact for safety purposes then let race control have contact with the drivers.

 

[Brogan]

No pit to car radios.

F1 would need to revert to a much more basic format to do that.

The cars these days are basically computerised engines, or motorised computers, depending on your point of view, and need more than just a pilot.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Abso-chuffing-lutely.

 

[cider_and_toast]

In response to Brogan, if by the simple measure of banning pit to car radio's that happens then would that be such a bad thing?

A simple rule change making F1 more straight forward and perhaps saving a bit of cash along the way. Surely that's the sort of rule the FIA would love and the teams appreciate? Oh wait, that will never get done then.

 

[Brogan]

In that case F1 needs to decide what it wants to be.

A modern racing series incorporating hybrid energy units, ERS, DRS, brake by wire, etc.

Or something from the 60's/70's, which is what a lot of members seem to want it to be.

 

[Wombcat]

One of the justifications for motor racing has always been that it produces technologies that benefit street cars. How does driver-alterable engine mapping, brake balance, weight jacking etc have any relevance to what anyone will ever drive on the street?

What does aero? F1 isn't very roadrelevant anyway.

 

[Mephistopheles]

We are talking about doing away with driver coaching hear which I feel isn't a bad thing we ain't turning back time, why should a driver be told to take a different line in turn so and so or how to save fuel or move the brake bias or when to pit all these things should be left to the drivers discretion, why should a driver be told in which sectors his teammate is faster and by how much...?

 

[cider_and_toast]

That's the problem though isn't Brogan, not even F1 knows what it wants to be. A cutting edge technical wonder, a showroom for road relevant technology, a thrills and spills wheel to wheel race series, a showcase for major car makers, a sponsors wet dream etc etc.

Until F1 makes its mind up, what chance have the rest of us got? The rules are constantly being re-written with no idea of what the end state should be.

 

[Wombcat]

Brogan and siffert_fan that was then, this is now. Today it's a technological age, you can't just go back to the 60s and pretend nothing happened.

Mephistopheles because it's impossible to exclude those messages from the technical messages that a driver needs these days (and yes, he really needs regular messages about engine settings and whatnot to save the engine, because unlike the 60s an engine has to last 4 or 5 races). It's just like the ban on teamorders: this is a rule which in the long term can't be enforced, beause teams will find codes to it.

I think "hammertime" is allowed. Which is silly, because it's code for 'push now'. But who's to say Mercedes won't use those words for another message from now on? Besides that, "push now" could be code for "go to strat 5 for 2 laps".

And banning pit to car radio wouldn't be a good idea either. As said, these days the cars are pretty much computerized engines, with loads of settings. You can't really expect a driver to manage all of those and drive the car. And realistically, you can't go back to the 60s either.

As said: that was then, this is now.

 

[Wombcat]

The worst of this rule change though, is that it happens in the midst of a season. Previous years have shown that it often will unbalance the current order, and often not in a good way.