FIA agrees last-minute easing of F1 radio clampdown
By: Jonathan Noble, Formula 1 Editor
29 minutes ago
The FIA has agreed to a last-minute easing of Formula 1's radio restrictions for the Australian Grand Prix.
As reported earlier, the issue of teams being able to discuss strategies emerged during a meeting of bosses and F1 race director Charlie Whiting in Melbourne on Sunday morning.
After agreeing to review the matter, Whiting has now notified teams that previous limits regarding strategies were now lifted.
In a list of allowable messages, Whiting wrote that teams could discuss: "The driver's own race pitstop strategy as well as those of his competitors, this is limited to the timing of pitstops and which tyres will be (or have been) used.
"For the avoidance of doubt, no car or power unit set up may be included in any such strategy discussion."
Updated radio restrictions
A. Restrictions on team-to-driver communications
These restrictions will apply :
- To all communications to the driver including, but not limited to, radio and pit boards.
- At all times the car is out of the garage with the engine running and the driver on board (with the exception of any time the car is in the pit lane on the day of the race prior to or between reconnaissance laps).
The following is a list of the permitted messages. Any other message, including any of those below which we suspect has been used as a coded message for a different purpose (including a prompt to a driver), is likely to be considered a breach of Article 27.1 of the Sporting Regulations and will be reported to the stewards accordingly.
1. Acknowledgement that a driver's message has been heard, this may include repeating the message back to the driver for the sole purpose of confirmation.
2. Indication of a critical problem with the car, any message of this sort may only be used if failure of a component or system is imminent and potentially terminal.
3. Information concerning damage to the car.
4. Instructions to select driver defaults for the sole purpose of mitigating loss of function of a sensor, actuator or controller whose degradation or failure was not detected and handled by the on-board software. In accordance with Article 8.2.4, any new setting chosen in this way must not enhance the performance of the car beyond that prior to the loss of function.
5. Instruction to enter the pit lane in order to fix or retire the car.
6. Indication of a problem with a competitor's car.
7. Marshalling information (yellow flag, red flag, blue flag, safety car, virtual safety car, race start aborted or other similar instructions or information from race control). This would include a reminder to switch off the SC "delta time" function after crossing the first safety car line twice from the time the SC was deployed.
8. Passing on messages from race control (this would include a countdown to the start of the formation lap and telling a driver that the last car has taken up position on the grid at the end of the formation lap).
9. Wet track, oil or debris in certain corners.
10. Weather information.
11. Information concerning the driver's own lap time or sector times.
12. Lap time of a competitor.
13. Helping with warning of traffic and gaps to other competitors during a practice session or race.
14. Instructions to swap position with other drivers.
15. Number of laps or time remaining during a practice session or race.
16. Position during a practice session or race.
17. "Push hard", "push now", "you will be racing xx", "take it easy" or similar (you are reminded about suspected use of coded messages when giving these messages or any words of encouragement).
18. When to enter the pits (or go to the grid during reconnaissance laps), any message of this sort may only be used if the driver is to enter the pits on that lap. Having been told when to enter the pits drivers may also be told to stay out if there has been a change of circumstances.
During free practice and qualifying sessions drivers may also be told what to do once they have entered the pits, e.g. "drive through", "stop in the box", "practice pit stop", "into the garage" or similar.
19. The driver's own race pit stop strategy as well as those of his competitors, this is limited to the timing of pit stops and which tyres will be (or have been) used. For the avoidance of doubt, no car or power unit set up may be included in any such strategy discussion.
20. Reminders to use the pit speed limiter, change tyre settings to match the tyres fitted to the car or to check for white lines, bollards, weighbridge lights when entering or leaving the pits.
21. Driving breaches by team driver or competitor, e.g. missing chicanes, running off track, time penalty will be applied etc.
22. Notification that DRS is enabled or disabled.
23. Dealing with a DRS system failure.
24. Oil transfer.
25. Test sequence information during practice sessions (P1 and P2 only), e.g. aero-mapping.
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