Revised FIA radio rules
Discussion
http://www.crash.net/f1/news/232258/1/fia-tweaks-r...
Allowed:
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 problem with the car, any message of this sort must include an irreversible instruction to enter the pits to rectify the problem or to retire the car.
3. Information concerning damage to the bodywork of the car.
4. Instructions to select driver defaults, this must be 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.
It will be the responsibility of any team giving any such instruction to satisfy the FIA technical delegate that this was the case and that any new setting chosen in this way did not enhance the performance of the car beyond that prior to the loss of function (see Article 8.2.4 of the Technical Regulations).
5. Indication of a problem with a competitor's car.
6. 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.
7. 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).
8. Wet track, oil or debris in certain corners.
9. Weather information.
10. Information concerning the driver's own lap time or sector times.
11. Lap time of a competitor.
12. Helping with warning of traffic and gaps to other competitors during a practice session or race.
13. Instructions to swap position with other drivers.
14. Number of laps or time remaining during a practice session or race.
15. Position during a practice session or race.
16. “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).
17. 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.
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 information related to the pit stop.
18. 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.
19. 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.
20. Driving breaches by team driver or competitor, e.g. missing chicanes, running off track, time penalty will be applied etc.
21. Notification that DRS is enabled or disabled.
22. Dealing with a DRS system failure.
23. Oil transfer.
Allowed:
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 problem with the car, any message of this sort must include an irreversible instruction to enter the pits to rectify the problem or to retire the car.
3. Information concerning damage to the bodywork of the car.
4. Instructions to select driver defaults, this must be 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.
It will be the responsibility of any team giving any such instruction to satisfy the FIA technical delegate that this was the case and that any new setting chosen in this way did not enhance the performance of the car beyond that prior to the loss of function (see Article 8.2.4 of the Technical Regulations).
5. Indication of a problem with a competitor's car.
6. 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.
7. 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).
8. Wet track, oil or debris in certain corners.
9. Weather information.
10. Information concerning the driver's own lap time or sector times.
11. Lap time of a competitor.
12. Helping with warning of traffic and gaps to other competitors during a practice session or race.
13. Instructions to swap position with other drivers.
14. Number of laps or time remaining during a practice session or race.
15. Position during a practice session or race.
16. “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).
17. 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.
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 information related to the pit stop.
18. 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.
19. 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.
20. Driving breaches by team driver or competitor, e.g. missing chicanes, running off track, time penalty will be applied etc.
21. Notification that DRS is enabled or disabled.
22. Dealing with a DRS system failure.
23. Oil transfer.
king complicated and shafting the fans as a result. 
So I thought this was all about driver coaching too but reading the BBC article there seems to be another agenda which I hadn't realised:
"But the FIA is concerned that the cars are too complicated, and do not need to have such complex control systems.
Part of the intention of the radio ban was to force teams to simplify the cars, but this has not happened."
That sort of makes sense to me what they're doing now.
"But the FIA is concerned that the cars are too complicated, and do not need to have such complex control systems.
Part of the intention of the radio ban was to force teams to simplify the cars, but this has not happened."
That sort of makes sense to me what they're doing now.
Crafty_ said:
Standard FIA form then, make a mess of something, get in to a difficult situation and then instead of using a bit of common sense and having a review they just make more of a mess on top of the original one.
Indeed. A classic management fiasco.Whitefly Swatter said:
would it not be better to fit the driver radio button to the garage wall rather than the steering wheel? ie ban radios
I think the ban applies to the pit boards as well. Derek Smith said:
Crafty_ said:
Standard FIA form then, make a mess of something, get in to a difficult situation and then instead of using a bit of common sense and having a review they just make more of a mess on top of the original one.
Indeed. A classic management fiasco.Whitefly Swatter said:
would it not be better to fit the driver radio button to the garage wall rather than the steering wheel? ie ban radios
I think the ban applies to the pit boards as well. Whitefly Swatter said:
Read it again I said GARAGE WALL not pit board
I think his point was that the regulations are, strictly speaking, nothing to do with the radio. they are a restriction on communication between driver and team by any means. Even if they banned radios, they'd still "need" regulations limiting other means of communication (such as the pit board). Having said that, if they want to limit driver coaching I'd have thought using the radio for two safety related messages - "stop the car now" and "pit this lap") and allowing them to do whatever the hell they like with the pit board would probably suffice and be far simpler.
Edited by kambites on Friday 22 July 10:11
I do see another side to this argument (apart from the driving coaching which does irritate) which is the FIA using it to bring down costs.
So the teams create these cars that have 1000's of permutations of settings which they need a driver to tweak inside the car constantly throughout the race and quali to manage it to the end.
The FIA see the teams spend a fortune creating this costly capability - because they can just tell the driver over the radio all the time where his settings need to be. You then also have to pay a genius geek a fortune to sit there and tell the driver what the car needs - adding more cost.
So I think the FIA see a way to reduce costs by taking away this pit radio and forcing the teams to put a car on the grid with minimal tweakability during a race. Take Rosbergs issue, it cost Merc a fortune to put a car on the grid where they can tweak something that bypasses a gearbox issue. So now the teams think well if we've got to visit the PIT anyway why spend the money.
Sure we'll never get back to the amazement at watching Senna around Monaco trying to adjust brake balance while manually changing down the gear box. But ideally we'll get the teams to put a car on the grid at the start which has to cover all scenarios in a race and complete the laps with minimal tweaks. Maybe then we'll get far better races and also a return to some proper pit radio.
Sorry I'm cr@p at making arguments but just another view, although teams no doubt will push the rules another way.
So the teams create these cars that have 1000's of permutations of settings which they need a driver to tweak inside the car constantly throughout the race and quali to manage it to the end.
The FIA see the teams spend a fortune creating this costly capability - because they can just tell the driver over the radio all the time where his settings need to be. You then also have to pay a genius geek a fortune to sit there and tell the driver what the car needs - adding more cost.
So I think the FIA see a way to reduce costs by taking away this pit radio and forcing the teams to put a car on the grid with minimal tweakability during a race. Take Rosbergs issue, it cost Merc a fortune to put a car on the grid where they can tweak something that bypasses a gearbox issue. So now the teams think well if we've got to visit the PIT anyway why spend the money.
Sure we'll never get back to the amazement at watching Senna around Monaco trying to adjust brake balance while manually changing down the gear box. But ideally we'll get the teams to put a car on the grid at the start which has to cover all scenarios in a race and complete the laps with minimal tweaks. Maybe then we'll get far better races and also a return to some proper pit radio.
Sorry I'm cr@p at making arguments but just another view, although teams no doubt will push the rules another way.
Eric Mc said:
I presume the driver needs to work out whilst controlling his car at 200 plus MPH that what he intends to say or request over the radio doesn't transgress one of these 23 paramemters.
Maybe they will need to stick the list to the centre of the steering wheel.
The driver can say whatever he wants. The limit is only on how the team are allowed to respond and they're always allowed to say "sorry we can't tell you that". Maybe they will need to stick the list to the centre of the steering wheel.
kambites said:
The driver can say whatever he wants. The limit is only on how the team are allowed to respond and they're always allowed to say "sorry we can't tell you that".
Or many variations of the above, which actually mean different things 
Drivers are going to require memory coaching at this rate.
Gassing Station | Formula 1 | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff