New Safety Car Rules For '09

Super Hans · 27 Jan 2009, 22:49 (Ref:2381025)

Quote:

The FIA has confirmed that Formula One's safety car regulations are to be changed for the 2009 season following successful tests of new software throughout last year. F1 teams and drivers worked hard in 2008 to try and come up with a solution that would eradicate the need for the pit lane to be closed during the early stages of a safety car period.

It was agreed that such a rule change could only be implemented if there was an effective way of preventing drivers rushing back to the pits - which could potentially result in them driving at high speed through an accident zone.

Tests took place at several races last year of standard ECU software revisions, which informed drivers during a safety car period of a maximum speed at which they could return to the pits.

Satisfaction with the outcome of those tests has resulted in the FIA approving the system for use during races this year.

Source www.autosport.com

What do you think then?

From an entertainment perspective, it will reduce the number of freak results, but from a sporting perspective it is the best solution, in my opinion. I'm absolutely delighted.

Pingguest · 27 Jan 2009, 22:53 (Ref:2381028)

It certainly is a good change. But it might had been even better to replace the Safety Car by that new system totally.

**Bononi** · 27 Jan 2009, 23:20 (Ref:2381044)

That's for better, but we have to see it in a real race.

**ScotsBrutesFan** · 27 Jan 2009, 23:48 (Ref:2381060)

That's fine if your looking to pit, but at what point does it cancel off if you've already made a stop that would see you to the end of the race.

Also what speed would this be as if your not pitting how can you close up to the safety car as it has to keep a reasonable pace too.

Marbot · 28 Jan 2009, 00:25 (Ref:2381073)

There isn't anything to stop a driver from racing back to the pits and then 'crawl' down the pit lane until his time as elasped.Also this could be used to delay other drivers on the track to their own advantage.

It's better,but it isn't perfect!

FPV GTHO · 28 Jan 2009, 05:09 (Ref:2381162)

Any idea of the consequences for coming back to the pits too fast/soon? Drive through i guess?

Super Hans · 28 Jan 2009, 08:30 (Ref:2381240)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marbot

There isn't anything to stop a driver from racing back to the pits and then 'crawl' down the pit lane until his time as elasped.

What would be the advantage in doing that?

Maccafan · 28 Jan 2009, 10:59 (Ref:2381331)

Any rules on how long a driver has to activate their speed limiter? They could carry on at full speed to the pits and claim they didn't know the safety car was out otherwise.

TwoSheds · 28 Jan 2009, 13:40 (Ref:2381416)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maccafan

Any rules on how long a driver has to activate their speed limiter? They could carry on at full speed to the pits and claim they didn't know the safety car was out otherwise.

There will still be the waved yellow flags and SC boards at all the marshals posts, and I doubt the teams will forget to tell their drivers the Safety Car is out.

ChrisPage · 28 Jan 2009, 14:33 (Ref:2381443)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Super Hans

What would be the advantage in doing that?

Exactly - they would risk their car (and selves!) through the debris, just to give the advantage back up in the pit entry.

This does sound like a good system, and solves the silly situation from last year - I would have thought something like an automatic rev limiter (like the pit lane system) might be used. I'm not sure how the FIA notifies and then how quick they expect the cars to slow down before hands are slapped? Or how all this is monitored.

Sounds like they were trialing the system with the safety car last year anyway but with the pit lane closed, so presumably it worked quite well in what must have been in that very 'close to real' situation.

bravo · 28 Jan 2009, 15:15 (Ref:2381456)

I don't mind them racing back to the pitlane... as long as they're going slow enough in the sectors where the marshals are working. Could they not have something like a pitlane speed limiter which has to be activated as they get to the marshal post prior to the one dealing with the incident?

Marbot · 28 Jan 2009, 15:30 (Ref:2381468)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Super Hans

What would be the advantage in doing that?

There isn't any advantage,but it doesn't mean to say that a driver won't or can't do it.

RotorFan · 30 Jan 2009, 01:45 (Ref:2382431)

For sure this will be exploited. You can imagine someone switching to fuel-saving mode, holding up the bloke behind who still needs to pit.

As far as racing to the pits and crawling down pit lane to increase the sector time, by the sounds of it the minimum time taken to return to pit entry will also be taken into account, so you couldn't do that anyway.

Teretonga · 30 Jan 2009, 02:36 (Ref:2382454)

They would also go to a full course yellow which means no overtaking so once you came upon someone going at his correct speed you would have to line up behind him and follow him in to the pit area.

There is no advantage and it may actually become self regulating.

broadrun96 · 30 Jan 2009, 02:45 (Ref:2382463)

With all of the teams out there running complex telemetry systems and I'm sure the FIA has their hands on copies of whatever information comes back, it shouldn't be too hard to look in and see where the throttle was positioned by sector or even more precisely. And with the length of most safety cars, the FIA could tell who decided to push it and race as far as they could after the yellows. No idea what they would do for the penalties though, probably a drive-through but wouldn't be surprised to see exclusion be threatened and probably used to demonstrate their seriousness.

Razor · 30 Jan 2009, 08:33 (Ref:2382528)

Quote:

Originally Posted by FPV GTHO

Any idea of the consequences for coming back to the pits too fast/soon? Drive through i guess?

10 sec stop/go.

ukaskew · 30 Jan 2009, 13:57 (Ref:2382673)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maccafan

Any rules on how long a driver has to activate their speed limiter? They could carry on at full speed to the pits and claim they didn't know the safety car was out otherwise.

Whiting said...

"When we deploy the safety car, the message will go to all the cars, which will then have a 'safety car' mode on their ECUs. As soon as that message gets to the car, it will know where it is on the circuit, and it will calculate a minimum time for the driver to get back to the pits. The driver will have to respect this and the information will be displayed on his dashboard."

That, to me, sounds like there will be an automatic system in which the 'Safety Car' message is sent directly to each car

bravo · 30 Jan 2009, 14:18 (Ref:2382685)

What's worst possible situation for racing?

Driver crosses start-finish on final lap before pitting and driver behind causes safety car incident into turn 1. Safety car is instantly deployed and starts picking up cars as they come through turn 1.

Under original 'no' rules he could race back at full race speed and pit.

Under last seasons rules he could race back at full speed but couldn't pit without penalty.

Under these rules he has to drive back slowly and pit?

There is the risk that he could lose a lot of time by doing a whole lap slowly... perhaps more than if he had pitted under last years rules and then came around again for the penalty? Those drivers who are towards the end of the lap can dive for the pits rather than join the safety car train and enjoy a healthy benefit.

FPV GTHO · 30 Jan 2009, 14:49 (Ref:2382701)

It remains to be seen how much slower they'll have to go though, whether it'll be only enough to justify them going slow through the accident zone, or they'll have to take all of the remaining lap at that pace.

Julian Turner · 2 Feb 2009, 11:13 (Ref:2386506)

In my opinion I think the FIA has made a good decision here after a number of bad rules in the past.

I think as ever there will be winners and losers in every saftey car situation, this will always just be luck of the draw.

ChrisPage · 2 Feb 2009, 16:41 (Ref:2386667)

It sounds like the cars will all recieve an automatic 'safety car' reading, but the driver will be responsible for speed - he will still have full control. Bit odd in a way as I imagine a speedometer isn't exactly prominant in the car! How does the driver monitor this?

Does the pit lane speed limiter have any negative impacts on reliability or such? If not, it would be an idea with Charly Whitings safety car notice to the cars to automatically switch these on, and take them off again after the safety car has left the track.

I'm shaw there are flaws to this argument though!

Super Hans · 2 Feb 2009, 18:19 (Ref:2386749)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisPage

Bit odd in a way as I imagine a speedometer isn't exactly prominant in the car!

They have a digital readout on the steering wheel.

I'm sure there will be a few niggles and teething problems with the new system, but anything is better than the situation we had last year. Luck will always play a part in motorsport, but it shoudn't be reduced to a lottery.

Pingguest · 2 Feb 2009, 21:29 (Ref:2386940)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Super Hans

They have a digital readout on the steering wheel.

I thought drivers don't have a speedometer but only an indicator for the revs. But I could be wrong though.

FPV GTHO · 3 Feb 2009, 04:47 (Ref:2387098)

The first tests had an arrow appear on an LCD display for the wheel and indicated an up or down arrow depending on whether the driver was going too fast or too slow to match the time.

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