Interesting rules for 2010

[The Artist.....]

Going through the sporting regs for 2010, there's an interesting rule in there


All applications will be studied by the FIA and accepted or rejected in its absolute discretion. The FIA will publish the list of cars and drivers accepted together with their race numbers on "12 June 2009", having first notified unsuccessful applicants as set out in Article 13.1. Out-of-time applications will be considered separately.

So, the FIA are publishing race numbers on the 12th of June eh? Presumably this means the end of numbers based on final championship position.

Further to this, the stewards are now free to give any number of grid places as a demotion for the next event.
16.3 The stewards may impose any one of three penalties on any driver involved in an Incident :
a) A drive-through penalty. The driver must enter the pit lane and re-join the race without stopping ;
b) A ten second time penalty. The driver must enter the pit lane, stop at his pit for at least ten seconds and then re-join the race.
c) a drop of Uany number ofU grid positions at the driver’s next Event.

 

[Muddytalker]

An interesting point, and a good spot.

Personally I preferred the older way of teams retaining numbers year on year, apart from the World Champion taking no.1 and his teammate no.2, swapping with the previous year's WC.

You could then gauge pictures and models according to the year if you weren't sure (Williams 1 and 2? must be '83 then, etc) Maybe I'm just too nostalgic.

Perhaps this is a forerunner to US style numbering - Cars defined by their number rather than the team/chassis, and drivers take 'their number' with them when moving teams?

 

[Brogan]

Interesting, thanks.
I didn't pick up on those yesterday.

Perhaps the numbering system will stay the same but the FIA will just be formally annnouncing it?
Presumably they're anticipating new teams so those will have to be given new numbers.

As for the new discretion on penalty, that's a potentially good move.
As we all know, drive through and stop-go penalties are not appealable but grid drop penalties are.
So if someone is penalised at the end of a race and they are given a grid drop at least there is the possibility of appeal.

Whether the stewards choose to award it though is another matter...

I would like to know what the criteria is for awarding each type of penalty.
Above all, I hope they are consistent and award the same penalty for the same offence.

 

[teabagyokel]

An interesting point, and a good spot.

Personally I preferred the older way of teams retaining numbers year on year, apart from the World Champion taking no.1 and his teammate no.2, swapping with the previous year's WC.

You could then gauge pictures and models according to the year if you weren't sure (Williams 1 and 2? must be '83 then, etc) Maybe I'm just too nostalgic.

Perhaps this is a forerunner to US style numbering - Cars defined by their number rather than the team/chassis, and drivers take 'their number' with them when moving teams?

I'm not sure about that Muddly, surely then its more difficult to gauge pictures and models according to year...

(Tyrell 3 and 4, then it could be any year from 1974-1995)

If you see a McLaren 22 and 23 it must be 2008, no?

Drivers taking "their number" with them? That's an interesting concept... could lead to Villeneuve's "cult of #27" developing more often (or Schumacher's "cult of #1"!).

Personally I like the idea of the current system, what way would they sort the teams out on June 12th? Alphabetically?

I always thought the Damon Hill car #0 idea was great, how about:

CC: cars #0,#2
2nd: cars #3,#4
3rd: cars #5,#6
... (excl #13)
13th: cars #26,#27

#1 replaces number for WDC

So,

#0 Massa
[glow=#FFBB00:9q8orsth]#1 Hamilton[/glow:9q8orsth]#2 Raikkonen
#3 Kovalainen
#5 Kubica
#6 Heidfeld
...