Four teams break FIA curfew in Singapore

[Ferrari_Fanatic]

Four teams have so far broken the FIA's curfew rule in Singapore this weekend which runs from 9.30am to 4pm.
The regulation states that 'no team personnel who are associated in any way with the operation of the cars are permitted within the confines of the circuit' during the aforementioned hours.
Franz Tost, Toro Rosso team principal, arrived too early on Friday, giving the outfit their first strike, though teams are allowed four exceptions.
Mercedes, Red Bull and Virgin also fell foul of the rule on Saturday after their marketing personnel entered the paddock during the curfew.
Mercedes have one strike, Virgin two and Red Bull are on three. Any team which exceeds four will encounter a penalty.

[Rob]

Mercedes' Ross Brawn calls for clarification of Formula 1's curfew rules

By Jonathan Noble Saturday, September 24th 2011, 19:18 GMT

Mercedes GP team principal Ross Brawn has called for a clarification of Formula 1's curfew regulations, after his team was one of three outfits caught out when marketing staff entered the track early at the Singapore Grand Prix.

The Brackley-based outfit joined Red Bull Racing and Virgin Racing in using up one of its four allowable curfews when it was discovered that marketing staff from the three outfits entered the circuit the track during a prohibited time.

Brawn believes that the curfew has worked well so far this season, but he does not understand why marketing staff are classified by the FIA as 'associated with the operation of the car.'

When asked by AUTOSPORT about the curfew issue, Brawn said: "I think there is a little bit of confusion that we just need to tidy up.

"The teams' perspective is that we have the crew of 47, which includes engineers and the various people working on the car, and the reason for the curfew was to make sure that that team, once it was reduced in size, did not get overworked.

"We didn't want to have a situation where that crew worked for a solid 48 hours because of course, if you constrict the size of the team and you don't change the workload, then all you do is work longer hours.

"I think the curfew has worked very well. Everybody's understanding was that it applies to the 47 people, which is a list that is generated and everybody knows who they are and they were people who abide by the curfew.

"In our case, a couple of our marketing commercial girls came to meet some guests at 3.30pm rather than 4pm and broke the curfew, so that is something that we need to discuss with the FIA to tidy up. I cannot quite see an objective in having a curfew for marketing staff. It is something that does need tidying up; I think it is just a misunderstanding."

The unusual timetable at the Singapore GP due to it being a night race has meant the curfew has been imposed at irregular hours - which caught out Scuderia Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost, who arrived too early for work on Friday.


http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/94812

[siberianlady]

I really don't understand the fuss to be honest as aren't the teams all allowed to break it four times in a season? Most have broken it only once if at all this year so they have plenty of "breaks" in hand......total hogwash!

[Greig]

seems stupid that marketing people will break a curfew though, not much fuss made really.

[REDARMYSOJA]

I agree with Ross it seems silly that marketing people are associated with the operation of the car. I suppose the rule is that way to prevent teams from disguising mechanics and engineers as marketing staff and slipping them in early, so probably needed.

[sagi58]

I chuckled when I read the rule was broken by marketing people!!
For pity's sake, they probably couldn't sleep because of the time
difference and figured they could get some work done!!

You'd think the F.I.A. had more important issues to enforce/deal with!!
Say something like drivers taking bets on the outcome of a race??

[NJB13]

So the FiA can get all tough and pedanticly enforce rules when it comes to a couple of marketing girls.

[Greig]

F1 governing body the FIA has returned curfew allowances of Red Bull, Mercedes GP and Virgin Racing following confusion over sporting regulations in Singapore.
New for 2011, teams members who can influence the performance of a car – such as Technical Directors or any mechanic – must remain outside circuit boundaries between certain hours of a race weekend, although in Marina Bay marketing staff of the aforementioned three teams were found to have entered the circuit within outlawed time periods.

This meant the FIA removed one of the teams’ four curfew allowances for the year, placing Red Bull down to only one.
The actions of the governing body were questioned by team heads such as Mercedes’ Ross Brown, who argued that marketing personnel can in no way contribute to the performance of the cars.

Following some deliberation, the FIA decided that Brawn’s view was correct and has therefore handed back one of the four curfew allowances to Red Bull, Mercedes and Virgin. Toro Rosso, however, still lose one allowance this weekend after Team Principal Franz Tost accidently arrived too early for work on Thursday.