Was the Monaco GP restart in contradiction of the rules?

[Andyoak]

If so then I don't think it should be applicable after 75% of the race has been run... but we all know about opinions I guess

 

[Bill Boddy]

But surely before the start the teams cannot work on setup and if repairs have to be carried out at the last minute they face the dreaded pit lane start.

 

[Brogan]

They are limited as to what work then can do regarding set up, etc. between qualifying and before the start of the formation lap.
But as soon as the formation lap begins, parc fermé rules no longer apply.

 

[no-FIAt-please]

Assuming Hamilton didn't get a black and orange flag... Do we think he could have maintained position with a wing as badly damaged as that, I know his car would be losing a ton of rear downforce but with a track like Monaco where it is extremely difficult to overtake I think he might have had a chance at least.

 

[Cookinflatsix]

Yes this brings up interesting options for the cynical team boss with a star driver and a willing lacky number 2.

Crashes and red flags reset races to a level playing field with these Pirellis? The Cray computers could run riot with the possibilities available

Btw isn't Flavio due back in F1 soon?

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

It's a very easy answer as to why they restarted inspite of 75% race distance being covered.

Vettel was guaranteed a win if it were "Race Over"...and it's 'bad' for tv - i.e. bad for CVC Partners - if the title is decided too early. Early season domination by Vettel - or any non Ferrari driver - is bad for the tv ratings of the late season GPs.

Re-starting the event had the probability - however small - that there would be a tangle for the lead with the possibility of a Ferrari winning.

It's simple, I thought.

Had Alonso been ahead of Vettel...or had even Button been ahead, it would have been declared a race.

It's an easy answer.

Cheers.

 

[Brogan]

Charlie Whiting has clarified the situation...sort of...

“for at least the past six or seven years”, according to Charlie – a red flag has been interpreted as a race suspension rather than a race stop. That being so, it is effectively the same as a Safety Car period, even to the point of “modifications” (including tyre changes) being carried out on the cars.

So I guess I was more or less right then as the rules were correct as I posted them, there's just been a change in approach.
Probably to ensure "the show" keeps going.
I wonder if this is actually written into the rules though?
Just because it is what happens, doesn't mean it's correct and Williams could query it I suppose.

http://www.theracedriver.com/2011/0...egulations-were-correctly-enforced-in-monaco/

 

[jez101]

What gets my goat is the teams being allowed to work on the cars on the grid. That made no sense to me at all and I hope that particular issue is dealt with in the future. It skewed the results to an unacceptable degre and spoilt what had been a very good race.

Yes, it did spoil the end of the race, but after all that carbon fibre being spread all over the track, the risk of a puncture for someone on the restart had to be taken seriously.

Let's just say that one of them had (eg Alonso) and stopped on the red flag grid with a flat. Do you let them change tyres for safety reasons and not the others?

 

[F1Yorkshire]

We've looked at the reasons why they chose to restart but was there any reason why they couldn't restart? In the recent past all the red flags have stood as they have been weather related and the conditions were unsafe to race in. In this case the accident had been cleared and the damage to the barriers was not enough to prevent racing continuing.

Once the damage was cleared and and in this case a hurt driver safely removed from the scene they was no reason why the race could not continue. It's unfortunate that the race didn't get the exciting ending that was building up but with the current regulations the alternative to the red flag was finishing under the safety car as I'm not sure they would have been able to clear the accident in the allowed number of laps.

 

[Speshal]

But surely before the start the teams cannot work on setup and if repairs have to be carried out at the last minute they face the dreaded pit lane start.

@ Bill - The only race so far this season that Sebastian hasn't won was China where the McLaren mechanics were doing this on the grid - as mentioned, if they leave the pit lane it's fair game.

 

[Sarinaide]

Assuming Hamilton didn't get a black and orange flag... Do we think he could have maintained position with a wing as badly damaged as that.

I would have thought that he would be doing doughnuts before too long with a rear wing in that shape, I would have cringed for him going into the tunnel flatout, I have seen some bad ones but really it would be stupid to race on with a car that compromises safety of driver and anyone around.

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I just thought that working on the cars on the grid seems a little pointless, they should ban any tyre change etc when waiting for restart. I am also hypercritical of Safety Car regulations, to me pits must be closed under the safety car to stop opportunistic racers getting huge track postition by virtue of being in the right place at the right time.....Valencia and Kamui are prime examples of 'fortune', it makes no sense that someone say in 5th loses out to 15th under a safety car.....Solution CLOSE the PITS.

 

[sportsman]

Charlie Whiting has clarified the situation...sort of...

So I guess I was more or less right then as the rules were correct as I posted them, there's just been a change in approach.
Probably to ensure "the show" keeps going.
I wonder if this is actually written into the rules though?
Just because it is what happens, doesn't mean it's correct and Williams could query it I suppose.

http://www.theracedriver.com/2011/0...egulations-were-correctly-enforced-in-monaco/

All your answers are here. Check the link as there are more regs covering wheel changes.

http://argent.fia.com/web/fia-public.nsf/B629812D19AA0E20C125789400396558/$FILE/1-2011 SPORTING REGULATIONS 08-03-2011.pdf 41) SUSPENDING A RACE
41.1 Should it become necessary to suspend the race because the circuit is blocked by an accident or because
weather or other conditions make it dangerous to continue, the clerk of the course will order red flags to be
shown at all marshal posts and the abort lights to be shown at the Line.
41.2 When the signal is given overtaking is forbidden, the pit exit will be closed and all cars must proceed slowly
to the starting grid. The first car to arrive on the grid should occupy pole position and others should fill the
remaining grid positions in the order they arrive.
If the safety car has been directed into the pit lane (see Article 40.10) cars should stop in line in the fast
lane of the pits.
41.3 If any cars are unable to return to the grid as a result of the track being blocked they will be brought back
when the track is cleared and will be arranged in the order they occupied before the race was suspended.
The order will be taken at the last point at which it was possible to determine the position of all cars. Any
such cars will then be permitted to resume the race.
The Safety Car will then be driven to the front of the grid.
41.4 Whilst the race is suspended :
- neither the race nor the timekeeping system will stop, however, in accordance with Article 5.3 the
length of the race suspension will be added to the maximum two hour period ;
- cars may be worked on once they have stopped on the grid or entered the pits but any such work
must not impede the resumption of the race ;
- only team members and officials will be permitted on the grid.
41.5 Cars may not enter the pit lane when the race is suspended. A drive through penalty (see Article 16.3.a)
will be imposed on any driver who enters the pit lane or whose car is pushed from the grid to the pit lane
after the race has been suspended. Any car which was in the pit entry or pit lane when the race was
suspended will not incur a penalty. However, if the cars have been directed into the pit lane (see Articles
40.10 and 41.2) a penalty will only be imposed on any driver whose car is moved from the fast lane to any
other part of the pit lane.
All cars in the pit lane will be permitted to leave the pits once the race has been resumed but any which
were in the pit entry or pit lane when the race was suspended will be released before any others. Subject
to the above, any car intending to resume the race from the pit exit may d

 

[F1Yorkshire]

In essence a Red Flag is just race suspension and not end of race. If they can continue they will! Was there something in the regulations that said a race could be completed the next day if it was not safe to race on the Sunday. I remember someone discussing it during last years waterlogged Japanese GP

 

[sobriety]

A way to fix this would be that if you want to change tyres/have bits of your car replaced in a red flag situation, you have to go into the pits to have it done, then start from the pit lane. Putting you at the back of the field. Simple.

 

[Brogan]

I've posted this before, but these are all the red flagged races.

 

[Bleu]

On a similar theme can someone clarify something please. What happened to aggregate times with a red flag situation? In 1994 Japan where the race stopped because of rain it restarted with the gaps between drivers remaining. I'm assuming the rules changed but unsure as to why/when.

It was considered too confusing. It changed somewhere before 2001, because that year Belgian GP was red-flagged, restarted with standing start with only 2nd part declaring the race result. Nowadays the rules state restart behind safety car.

Anyway, the gaps were reduced already. Kobayashi was a minute behind when the safety car came out and in the pack while the red flag was shown. Although the countback rule would have put him further down if aggregates were still in use.

MotoGP uses also only 2nd race results nowadays.

 

[mjo]

Is anybody actually complaining about the race being restarted??? Hopefully it( the race being restarted with over 75% of race distance completed) will set a precedent for future races if it is safe and possible to do so. Anyway, the Monaco GP would have been even more of an anticlimax (if the race was stopped and not restarted) than it turned out to be.