The latest can of worms?

[cider_and_toast]

As part of next years rules the FIA have pledged to clean up driving standards. All very noble you would think and especially important to get rid of the habit of one or two drivers of swerving into their rivals or trying to push them into pit walls at high speed.

FIA Clamp down on bad driving

Why then do I get the feeling that some of these rules will open up a can of worms when it comes to there application next season. Take for example, the rules on leaving the track and gaining an advantage. It is now laid down in black and white that you can only rejoin the track when it is safe to do so and can not gain an "advantage". This could open a real can of worms at the start of the race. How many times have we seen cars run wide into the first corner to avoid an accident such as a car spinning?

The problem of course is that in the case of driving standards, it's down to the stewards at each race to apply the rules as they see it.

 

[Brogan]

The rule about leaving the track has existed for a long time but they never apply it.

How many times did we see Kimi going off the circuit at Eau Rouge and gaining an advantage due to straight-lining the corner or going off at Turn 8 at Turkey and getting better traction and acceleration down the straight?

As always, the FIA make sense only to themselves, and Ferrari.

 

[snowy]

The rule about leaving the track has existed for a long time but they never apply it.

Unless of course you happen to have been driving a McLaren and avoiding a collision.

 

[snowy]

The racing was actually a lot better and decisions a lot less contentious this season than past seasons simply because the stewards adopted a more relaxed approach. This is a backward step and is bound to backfire horribly, since the people they are asking to use these clarifications are subject to subjectivity and stupidity in equal measure.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Interesting point about Spa. The left hand side of the track after turn one is often used as part of the circuit when infact if this rule is applied it is outside of the white lines and therefore no longer part of the track. Should be intersting at the start now because that's going to make that part of the track a lot smaller.

 

[FB]

4" kerbs all the way round the track that way they can't leave the circuit.

I know, I know, what if they have to take avoiding action

 

[FB]

"A driver will be judged to have left the track if no part of the car remains in contact with the track.

Does this count?

 

[Grizzly]

...not to mention, he's over the white line...

 

[tooncheese]

The problem is that they have new stewards at each race. If they had the same stewards, then at least there would be some consistency.

 

[Brogan]

I don't think there would be.

Charlie Whiting attends every race and he still makes inconsistent judgements and decisions.

The FIA rules are supposed to apply equally to every team and driver but they are also applied inconsistently.

 

[RickD]

So, would Alonso have got a lot of penalties at Abu Dhabi for leaving the track so many times?

This is going to be a rule that is applied inconsistently and cause controversy. Does anyone think that this is what the FIA are after as it keeps people talking about the races?

 

[sportsman]

There is a permanent panel of travelling stewards who travel to every race.


FORMULA ONE

F1 Stewards

A smaller permanent group of F1 Stewards will sit with experienced former F1 drivers to provide a permanent panel of three FIA stewards, together with one steward representing the National Sporting Authority, to deal with F1 at each Grand Prix.

There will no longer be a non-voting Chairman and each group of stewards will elect their own Chairman amongst themselves for each race. Utilising video and radio exchanges they should aim to reach decisions very efficiently.

The current observer programme for F1 stewards will continue, and training, distribution of decisions, and an annual meeting will be encouraged to raise the quality of decisions in this permanent group.

http://www.fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre/pr ... 11209.aspx

 

[teabagyokel]

If it means Schumacher would have got a ban for that ridiculous stunt in Hungary, I'm happy.

 

[Cancer Cowboy]

If it means Schumacher would have got a ban for that ridiculous stunt in Hungary, I'm happy.

So... Do the new rules mean Barichello will be penalised for being outside the white line?

 

[teabagyokel]

If it means Schumacher would have got a ban for that ridiculous stunt in Hungary, I'm happy.

So... Do the new rules mean Barichello will be penalised for being outside the white line?

Hope so, we need less 40-year-olds in F1!

I would expect the rules to blame Schumacher for that one, but I'm not second-guessing what the FIA do before they actually do it. All you can assume is that (as the tennis umpire would say) "Advantage Ferrari".

 

[Boyle]

It's a nice idea but what constitutes bad driving?



There's surely many interpretations of this rule - I suppose it's an FIA classic!

 

[teabagyokel]

The latter is blatant cheating, not bad driving.

 

[Boyle]

The latter is blatant cheating, not bad driving.

Yeah, thought that may have been the wrong choice of picture. I meant it as just a picture of a crash but I suppose the Yamamoto picture was probably enough.

Also does the rule mean that if someone cuts a chicane repeatedly without necessarily gaining a position - i.e Hulkenberg at Monza - will be punished now?

 

[teabagyokel]

Also does the rule mean that if someone cuts a chicane repeatedly without necessarily gaining a position - i.e Hulkenberg at Monza - will be punished now?

Well, the current distinction is gaining a position and giving it immediately back (Alonso @ Suzuka 2005, Hamilton @ Belgium 2008) in which case you're penalised or not losing a position and doing sod all about it (Schumacher @ Hungary 2006, Canada 2010, Hulkenburg @ Monza 2010) in which case you're fine.

Bonkers FIA rules again!