GPWizard F1 Forum
F1 News & Discussions => General F1 Discussion => Topic started by: Andy B on March 14, 2010, 06:39:54 PM
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What is this all about I did not comprehend what the rule is, if a car is with 55 metres of what? It cannot be released from its pit box???
If anyone is aware and understands what is going on please let me know as until the pit stops started I had no idea. :DntKnw: :fool:
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Not up to speed with that on either Andy. :DntKnw:
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If a car is within 55 metres of your pit box, you may not release a car that is in it.
Each team has a marker along the pit wall. If there is a car between the marker and your pit box, you must hold your car in place.
In previous seasons there has been debate about some teams getting a penalty for releasing a car into traffic, and others not getting a penalty. The previous rule was to use the marshall's judgment if it 'dangerous' or not. Different mashalls judged differently... now there is a hard and fast rule.
I don't know that the rule is good or bad, but I'm glad the FIA made some movement on the issue before someone was severely injured, especially with these 4 second pit times, there might not be enough paying attention to safety.
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Got to agree there Jeri, now we're not relying on personal judgement, if there is a car in the zone you can't let your car go. It's definite and thats it.
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Yeah, it is a positive rule to save people coming out dangerously, some pitlanes are narrow and more open to accidents as well.
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I agree with the rule in principle but 55 metres is too much, the speed is limited so it is an excessive margin, in some of the short pit lanes this year it's bound disadvantage more cars - may even change the outcome more than today. :crazy:
Can't be right that a safety rule can alter the outcome in the race. :nono: :nono:
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Thanks guys, I wonder why the BBC never mentioned this in the build up?
I have to agree with John you can have too much safety!!
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Maybe after a few races this rule will be moderated a little to make the distance a little shorter?
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I wish someone had actually bothered to write this into the regulations before implementing it! That might be why the BBC didn't mention it before the race.
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There you go again, Ali. Expecting common sense from the F1 rule makers. ;)
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How on earth did it end up being implemented?! Crazy stuff! Thanks Ali!
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My guess is that it was implemented as a "clarification", which doesn't require any regulation re-writing provided that Charlie Whiting officially tells all the teams of the change in a pre-weekend briefing. Note that there is no requirement to officially tell us, or even the drivers unless compliance with the "clarification" requires a change in driving.
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So my first thought is that if the car right behind your pit area is released before you are, say by only mere fractions of a second, do you get a penalty for being released? The pit areas are closer than 55m together right?
Personally, I think all these regulations and rules changes are going to lead to a very boring spectacle. Motor racing is dangerous, stuff is gonna happen. Refueling is dangerous? BAN IT! Cars trying to gain positions in the pit area? BAN THEM FROM MOVING IF WE CAN SEE ANOTHER CAR COMING!
You're worried about fires in the pit area? Anyone ever seen a youtube video of what happens at a gas station in the event of a fire? A huge cloud of dry chemical extinguisher is released and puts the fire out via an overhead system. It works really well.
During a pit stop with fueling there was WAY too many people over the wall. Watch a Nascar race, or IRL race...One gas man and a possible helper for the rig. Two tire changers with a catcher for each. That makes 6 people maximum. Heck, Nascar refueling has this huge gorilla carrying :o the fuel can which is gravity fed into the tank, along with a guy to catch the overflow. You get your typical F1 pitstop last year and you've basically got an entire soccer team and its accompanying fans all crowded around a 200mph, overheated ballistic missile that doesn't like to stand still! Of course something is gonna go wrong. Make 6 people max the limit and make them do all the work. Slow down the pitstops! I don't find 7 second or less pit stops exciting at all.
The way things are heading, this time next year there will be no stops at all and with the current aero packages, they're be no passing either (except of course the backfield, but we don't get to see them anyways!) . One long 1:45 fight for advertising TV time.
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Absolutely! 100% with you Darrell. I've never understood why F1 needs 20 guys surrounding the car. Send the boys to the gym and use 6-7 of them to do the same thing. Nothing wrong with the gravity fed fuel either...I'd be happy with 20sec pit stops. It would shake the field up even more until they are all sorted out. Think of the strategies they'd have to come up with to calculate where everyone will be at the end of the pit stops.
:good: :good: :good:
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So my first thought is that if the car right behind your pit area is released before you are, say by only mere fractions of a second, do you get a penalty for being released? The pit areas are closer than 55m together right? {Canada Darrell - 2 posts ago}
I think they usually are closer than 55m (the amount varies by track, and China's may well be above 55m) I think it only applies to cars that are in the "fast lane" at the time of release (as opposed to the "slow lane", where the cars are worked on), but I can't be sure because of the secretive nature of this regulation's arrival.
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I just heard Andy Stevenson from FIF1 on Radio 5 during 1st practice. He said that the 55 Meter line is just a rough guide. He said that the FIA won't enforce it too tightly if everyone pits at once during a caution.
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That makes more sense then. Phew!
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Yeah, that is a sensible implementation of the rule!
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Yeah, that is a sensible implementation of the rule!
It was my understanding that the whole poit of the rule was to remove interpretation from the equation.
Honestly, without the fuel out in the pits, the risks are much lower, so I don't know that this rule is as critical as it has been in the past. (I'm sure the left side tire changes might disagree...)
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It's to stop two cars colliding into one another in the pits or (more commonly) ruining each other's races in a dangerous way.
However, there is flexibility in the guidelines, which is why a combination of a tighter pitlane and slower speeds meant that the guideline in Australia was only 30m.
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Absolutely! 100% with you Darrell. I've never understood why F1 needs 20 guys surrounding the car. Send the boys to the gym and use 6-7 of them to do the same thing. Nothing wrong with the gravity fed fuel either...I'd be happy with 20sec pit stops. It would shake the field up even more until they are all sorted out. Think of the strategies they'd have to come up with to calculate where everyone will be at the end of the pit stops.
:good: :good: :good:
absolutely you guys, good thinking as it would reduce costs, be more fun and a helluva lot safer too
......so it would be a win/win for fans and teams alike or is this too simple-minded for the rarified world of F1?
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Bad rule.
Unless you change the location and distance between pit areas.
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Why? Nascar and IRL do it in tighter pits than F1 has.
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Any word on the distance being enforced for Malaysia? Or the pit speed limit?
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Nothing's been said about pitlane speed limit, so I'm assuming the standard 80km/h.
Although nothing's been said about distances either, it would be most logical if 55m was again in use, though I cannot confirm that.