*FIA in sensible move shock!*
Discussion
basically they have admitted that their idea of closing the pitlane was rubbish and have gone back to how it was previously.
however, not totally sensible and still a bit complicated - instead of covering the affected area with double yellows, a safety car light will come up on the steering wheel, the driver presses a button with 5 seconds to acknowledge it, and has to then circulate the track keeping to a minimum time limit presumably continuously relayed by the teams over the radio (assuming the GPS and radio are working perfectly all round the track, which doesn't always happen...)
http://www.f1complete.com/content/view/10567/900/
however, not totally sensible and still a bit complicated - instead of covering the affected area with double yellows, a safety car light will come up on the steering wheel, the driver presses a button with 5 seconds to acknowledge it, and has to then circulate the track keeping to a minimum time limit presumably continuously relayed by the teams over the radio (assuming the GPS and radio are working perfectly all round the track, which doesn't always happen...)
http://www.f1complete.com/content/view/10567/900/
In fact on reflection, a lot more ambiguous, with lots of further opportunities to make the rules up on the hoof. Watch this space...IMHO, they should do the same as NASCAR. The pits should remain closed until the pace, err, Safety Car picks up the leader. The driver of the Safety Car should be adept at getting to that position very quickly, if that means having multiple Safety Cars stationed at various places around the track, then so be it. Once the field is behind the safety car, then open the pits.
Obviously, there's a chance that it might close when someone was due for their stop, or is pitting because they have a damaged car (involved in the incident that brought out the safety car), then those cars should be allowed to be serviced, but held at pitlane exit until the train has gone past. If they lose a lap, then that's the penalty for the "offence", nothing more.
It's such a simple idea that it works for the Good Ol' Boys, so why shouldn't it work for F1. Oh, sorry, I forgot, it doesn't have super-expensive gizmo's and a bunch of extra rules, regulations, or "blazer wearing stewards" to administer it.
Obviously, there's a chance that it might close when someone was due for their stop, or is pitting because they have a damaged car (involved in the incident that brought out the safety car), then those cars should be allowed to be serviced, but held at pitlane exit until the train has gone past. If they lose a lap, then that's the penalty for the "offence", nothing more.
It's such a simple idea that it works for the Good Ol' Boys, so why shouldn't it work for F1. Oh, sorry, I forgot, it doesn't have super-expensive gizmo's and a bunch of extra rules, regulations, or "blazer wearing stewards" to administer it.
Thunderbelmont - what then happens when Car X comes out of the pits and has a 25 second gap to the back of the pack to catch up and nails it at race speed or there abouts, past the marshalls trying to clear up the incident that first caused the safety car deployment? It was my understanding that this is why the closure of the pitlane was introduced.
thunderbelmont said:
IMHO, they should do the same as NASCAR. The pits should remain closed until the pace, err, Safety Car picks up the leader. The driver of the Safety Car should be adept at getting to that position very quickly, if that means having multiple Safety Cars stationed at various places around the track, then so be it. Once the field is behind the safety car, then open the pits.
Obviously, there's a chance that it might close when someone was due for their stop, or is pitting because they have a damaged car (involved in the incident that brought out the safety car), then those cars should be allowed to be serviced, but held at pitlane exit until the train has gone past. If they lose a lap, then that's the penalty for the "offence", nothing more.
For the benefit of those that don't watch it, it's vanishingly rare for someone to lose a lap by pitting early to take on fuel in NASCAR, even at Bristol or Martinsville (1/2 mile ovals). The penalty that NASCAR applies for pitting under caution while the pits are closed is "tail end of the longest line" on the restart. Restarts are two abreast with lapped cars lining up on the inside, so if you are on the lead lap and there are only five other cars also unlapped you would have to line up behind the other 37 lapped cars.Obviously, there's a chance that it might close when someone was due for their stop, or is pitting because they have a damaged car (involved in the incident that brought out the safety car), then those cars should be allowed to be serviced, but held at pitlane exit until the train has gone past. If they lose a lap, then that's the penalty for the "offence", nothing more.
I like the IRL method of dealing with cars low on fuel, if the pits are closed and you are low on fuel you can still pit but only take on enough fuel for one lap, you do your proper pitstop with everyone else when the pits are opened.
onomatopoeia said:
I like the IRL method of dealing with cars low on fuel, if the pits are closed and you are low on fuel you can still pit but only take on enough fuel for one lap, you do your proper pitstop with everyone else when the pits are opened.
Well that's what we have now, isn't it. You pit, fill up, then get the 10 stop/go thing under race conditions. Either way, you effectively end up at the back. The current pit rules do at least spice up the whole affair. I can't imagine the Singapore race would have been half as exciting without them. And Kubica and Rosberg still took points and a podium out of it.
Plug550 said:
onomatopoeia said:
I like the IRL method of dealing with cars low on fuel, if the pits are closed and you are low on fuel you can still pit but only take on enough fuel for one lap, you do your proper pitstop with everyone else when the pits are opened.
Well that's what we have now, isn't it. You pit, fill up, then get the 10 stop/go thing under race conditions. Either way, you effectively end up at the back. LexSport said:
Thunderbelmont - what then happens when Car X comes out of the pits and has a 25 second gap to the back of the pack to catch up and nails it at race speed or there abouts, past the marshalls trying to clear up the incident that first caused the safety car deployment? It was my understanding that this is why the closure of the pitlane was introduced.
That car/drive would, as now, receive a penalty (up to black flag) for driving in a manner inconsistent with general safety (I reckon those are the words that are used for the offence).The closure of the pitlane was to stop cars from achieving an advantage by pitting as soon as the Safety Car is deployed. In the early days of SC deployment, this happened, and teams (that lost because of it!) were up in arms about it, hence the pitlane closure.
The big problem with F1's SC procedure is that it can take a long time for the pace car to pick up the leader, and in fact, sometimes they don't pick up the leader, they just back the entire field up behind them before releasing the cars between the SC and the leader. Then the pitlane opens, and that takes more time than it should.
With the new SC electronic systems being tested, cars rushing (at full race pace) to join the back of the train following a pitstop may be a thing of the past as the gizmo will slow them down, especially near the incident.
The IRL method of one-lap's-worth of fuel - good call.
The problem, as I see it, is that they haven't learned from people who do it all the time, and properly, and they keep making knee-jerk changes at a tangient.
I just donot understand why they dont have an electronic way to limit the cars speed as soon as there is a safety car incident.
Yellow light on steering wheel, then 3 seconds later, all cars limited to say 140kmh....?
Christ they used to have a way of turning of seaside go karts 30 years ago when there was an accident / twot driving!
Basically, F1 cars would just ciruclate at near flat out speed of 140kmh, maintaining their relative positions and then when the incident is clear, light goes off and as soon as either the leader or last man crosses the start and finish line, cars back to full power!
Max, please send royalities to S3 fella spank club fund, 21 whip street, Soho, London, WH1PME.
(or a suitcase full of cash at the next German Lesson we both attend!
Yellow light on steering wheel, then 3 seconds later, all cars limited to say 140kmh....?
Christ they used to have a way of turning of seaside go karts 30 years ago when there was an accident / twot driving!
Basically, F1 cars would just ciruclate at near flat out speed of 140kmh, maintaining their relative positions and then when the incident is clear, light goes off and as soon as either the leader or last man crosses the start and finish line, cars back to full power!
Max, please send royalities to S3 fella spank club fund, 21 whip street, Soho, London, WH1PME.
(or a suitcase full of cash at the next German Lesson we both attend!
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