What would happen if....

[wodonnell]

Just watching the 1994 Japanese GP. The race was stopped after about 13 laps due to bad weather. The rules stated that the cars could be worked on (suspension, wings, etc) but could not be refuelled.

When the weather cleared up a bit the race was restarted and within 2 laps Schumacher pitted for fuel.

Question is, what would have happened had the first part of the race run for a further 2 laps? Schumacher would have been on his in-lap as the race was red-flagged and would not have been allowed to refuel. He would therefore have run out of fuel as the race was restarted!

Do the rules now allow for this eventuality or does the same (strange) situation still exist?

[Gerard]

Wayne, the rules state that the cars can not be refuelled while on the grid. They can be refuelled while in the pits.

Whenever a race is stopped the cars have to go to the grid to line-up again.
They may not be refuelled while there.
If a driver decides to make a pit stop during a safety car period, he can be refuelled.
However, he must wait for the pit light to go green before entering the track again and he has to join at the back of the line of cars.

So, in the case of Schumacher at the Japanese GP, his team made a very wise decision to call him in after the race was re-started, because he would only loose a couple of places instead of a whole lot of them when pitting during a safety car period.

Therefore, Schumacher would not have run out of fuel, he would have only lost a couple of places.
[Edited by Gerard on 15th July 2000]

[wodonnell]

Good point. In my scenario of a driver running dry and on his way into the pits, he could still have pitted legally.

I think the rule was something like "a car may be refuelled only in the pits".

So long as my hypothetical driver is allowed to enter the pit lane under a red flag he is OK as refuelling is then OK?

Hang on though... I'm getting myself in a mess here...

-situation is as in japan but Schumacher MUST pit this lap, or run out of fuel...

-red flag shown and Schumi heads into the pits (is this allowed).

-Mechanics can now fiddle with Schumis car AND refuel it, whereas, for example, Hills mechanics can only fiddle because his car is on the track, not in the pits.

-As the positions are taken from the previous lap, when schumi was leading, he would take pole for the restart and would have therefore had a "free" pitstop.

Obviously I have done something illegal in the above situation, I just don't know what.

[SL]

Would you not start from the pit lane ?

That is, once the start was under way, you would be sitting in the car in the pit lane. Not on the grid then refuelling can take place once the race is underway.

Simon

[wodonnell]

Thats what I was thinking...

On the red flag, head to the pits and stop.

Then on the green flag, do the pitstop and resume.

OR, do the pit stop then wait at the end of the pit lane and resume at the back of the field.

If the race was stopped when behind the safety cat then nothing is lost as a safety car pit stop would put you at the back anyway. If the race was stopped due to an accident, not behind the safety car, then potentially the car drops right back through the field instead of just losing just a couple of places.

I guess it all comes down to luck. If you come out well placed then fine, if you lose a load of places then "thats motor racing".