Closed Pits?

[Sarinaide]

My question is, "should the pits be closed, when the safety car is out?"

There seems to be a scenario where some cars are in a better position to get a free pitstop while others are disadvantaged due to the position down the track, while it doesn't diminish a drivers achievement, I feel that there is plenty wrong with the existing safety car rule and it is putting drivers in bad positions into good positions just because the SC is seen as a freebie, while if you stay out, or have been collected by the SC you cannot benefit from this freebie. In my view, as soon as the safety car is out the pits should close. The only exception is for cars sustaining damage in the incident to allow repairs, but they should be held back until the SC repasses the start finish line.

 

[no-FIAt-please]

I think the pits should be closed in a SC scenario, especially seeing as they can't say they have to pit for fuel now. It creates an element of luck that I dislike, for instance I would be brave enough to wager that Vettel wouldn't have won in Belgium had the safety car not come out at an opportune time for him.

 

[teabagyokel]

This didn't work previously due to refuelling. There's no refuelling. So go for it!

 

[Brogan]

And if tyres are dangerously worn?

 

[teabagyokel]

And if tyres are dangerously worn?

Point taken.

 

[no-FIAt-please]

Why would a driver be out on a tyre that would be so slow it's dangerous to be on. We've seen the canvas on tyres in the past and they havn't lost integrity. I say let them trudle around at SC speeds and they can pit after for a fresh set of boots.

 

[Brogan]

The drop off is too severe these days to do another 3-5 laps.

 

[Sarinaide]

I would say that if you pit under safety car conditions, you can only be released once the safety car completes the lap, passes the start/finish line, effectively putting you at the back.

 

[Cookinflatsix]

And if tyres are dangerously worn?

Then they can pit and take a penalty

 

[Brogan]

Why should a driver who is out in front on worn tyres be penalised for something outside his control?

 

[teabagyokel]

Why should a driver who is out in front on worn tyres be penalised for something outside his control?

Presumably because this weekend it was Seb. I think you're probably right on this one, Bro.

 

[Sarinaide]

It goes to say, why and how are you out in front with "badly worn" tyres, and if so, you can handle the 80km/h safety car speeds, if not pit in and rejoin when the safety car comes back round.

 

[Cookinflatsix]

At safety car speeds, worn tyres should not be an issue

It wouldn't be anymore unfair to a few drivers than the current situation is, and it would make for better racing IMHO

 

[Brogan]

Of course this thread has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that under this proposed change Alonso would have benfitted at the Belgian GP last weekend.

 

[sushifiesta]

Whatever the Safety Car rule is it will always benefit some drivers and hurt others simply by closing the field up. Unless they went to the extreme lengths of somehow maintaining the gaps between cars it will never be 'fair', but it will always be safe and allow the race to continue quickly after an incident.

If I focus purely on the pit lane debate, it will always benefit some drivers and hurt others based on the condition of their tyres. If it's shut drivers near the end of their stint will be disadvantaged, and if its open drivers near the beginning of their stint will be disadvantaged (in general).

 

[Sarinaide]

Of course this thread has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that under this proposed change Alonso would have benfitted at the Belgian GP last weekend.

ughm not really, despite Vettel doing 2 stops in quick succession he was still fast enough to ensure that when Webber and Alonso pitted, he would have been up first, so no it has nothing to do with that.

[edit]

We knew that the Ferrari's fell away as the race went deeper, the only likely benefactor would have been Mark Webber.

 

[KekeTheKing]

One of the main issues with the pit stops following a SC deployment is that it's a complete lottery as to where you happen to be on the circuit. If you find yourself in the third sector when the SC board comes out, you can basically hustle to the pits at near racing speed, make a pit stop, and still be able to join again near the front. If however you are in Sector 1, and have to abide by a Delta time for nearly an entire lap, you will not be in a position to gain any advantage under the Safety Car.

Despite this "luck of the draw" aspect, I still think the pits should stay open.

 

[RossTheBoss]

Perhaps F1 should adopt an american style system where all the cars on the same racing lap come in at a designated time determined by race control who open the pits when they are all lined up? It would negate the "free pitstop" idea while costing the drivers pitting track position but not as much time. Safety may be an issue however...

 

[sushifiesta]

It would end up being a battle of the pit-crews and there's also the point that as the number of tyres are limited some drivers may not want to pit.

 

[RasputinLives]

I did think long and hard about this one but I'm gonna say no.

The leader will always have whatever lead he's built up wiped out if a safety car comes out - one of the only ways to negociate this without a big disadvantage to them is by pitting. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't but if you took away the pitstop option it would mean that the guy leading the race is always the one who loses out the most and surely that can't be right for the sport.

It is a lottery yes but I can't see any other way round it.