Quote:
Originally Posted by EffectiveSprinkles
Sporting regulations
- Get rid of VSC and replace it with FCY system that WEC uses.
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My take on it:
Things to avoid:
* safety car / FCY for every single issue on track or next to it (see: single car stopped in runoff area next to the track - Sonoma Indycar race. Rossi was just in front of the leader when that FCY came, could close up to the back, take a free pitstop and close up to the back again. Net gain: free pitstop + 90% of a lap).
* virtual safety car followed by a single safety car lap to bunch up the field after all the trouble is long cleared up, which when going green immediately causes more trouble than you were trying to solve (see: Blancpain, especially during the Spa 24 Hours)
* drivers who gain an advantage on their competition because they get lucky (based on their track position) and can get into the pits while others can't, especially if the pits get closed first (see: various Indycar or IMSA races)
* drivers who gain an advantage under a VSC because - even at the regulated speed - they lose less time than their competitors, just becasue they are at a slow part of they track and others are at a normally faster part (see: Markelov's win in GP2 a few years ago)
* the "lapped cars may now overtake" scenario which takes ages to complete
So:
* No safety car but a Virtual Safety Car or Full Course Yellow on the whole track. All cars circulate at a predefined speed - this can be different from track to track. The predefined speed may be overruled (i.e.: lowered) by the race directors.
* pits will be closed during the entire FCY period. We don't need to stop for fuel, so no issues there
* Cars that are already in the pits when the Yellow is called, may re-enter the track. Pitlane exit will not be closed.
* The Yellow will have a duration of exactly one lap or a multitude of it. Meaning: It ends when car X is at exactly the same postion as when the Yellow started. Since all cars travel at exactly the same speed, nobody will have gained an advantage and everyone will be at the same spot as when the Yellow started.
Exceptions on the pit rules:
* cars may enter the pits for technical reasons: flat tire, accident damage.
Accident damage: This is only valid for accident damage that happened in the lap before the Yellow. So: no free pitstop. A broken wing occurred on lap 1 could have been changed long ago, and if hasn't by now, it can wait until after the Yellow.
Tires: A damaged tire can be changed, all other tires should remain on the car.
* cars may enter the pits to change from dry to wet-weather tires (all 4)
At the discretion of the race directors, a red flag may be shown instead of a yellow flag.