"Tough" new rules for next season

[Ceryndrion]

Okay, so they claim that these are going to be tough new rules, but some of it, is just laughable..

Formula One drivers will face tougher sanctions next season for dangerous or unsporting driving.

In 2011 stewards will be able to exclude drivers from a race or suspend them for the next grand prix.

The FIA, the sport's governing body, also identified driving practices it wants to eradicate.

They include drivers making more than one change of direction in trying to defend a position or the deliberate crowding of a car.

Drivers must also use the track at all times and not leave it, as some were criticised for doing last season, to gain a driving advantage.

If they do come off, they must return when it is safe to do so without gaining any advantage.

In addition back markers in a race must allow a faster car to pass at the first available opportunity.

Any driver who ignores the waved blue flags that indicate a slower car should move aside will be reported to the stewards.

Previously, stewards could only impose drive-through or time penalties on drivers or drop them down the grid if they were deemed to have infringed the rules.

The FIA also plans to introduce a curfew on team personnel at Formula One races.

The curfew will run from midnight to 0600 when practice starts at 1000 on Fridays, and from 0100 to 0700 when practice starts at 1100 on a Saturday.

However, each team will be permitted four exceptions to the rule during the course of the season.

 

[Duke]

Seems more about clarifying the existing rules apart from the silly curfew thing.

 

[pingwing]

Curfew wont happen but its a good idea in some situations (except when a car gets totaled)

 

[Ceryndrion]

Seems more about clarifying the existing rules apart from the silly curfew thing.

The biggest change, which I don't think the bbc article made quite clear, is that the stewards will be able to disqualify/suspend drivers for infractions that previously would get a drive-thru or grid-drop. This means that much harsher penalties will be an option, and hopefully, drivers will behave better, that said, it could detract from risk taking..

as for the curfew, that just makes me laugh.

 

[Skeeter]

So... the result of this is nobody wants to overtake each other, as doing so and making a mistake means you get banned from the next race. You also dont want to move about defending as it will get you excluded.

And then you also wont want to push it hard during practice as nailing your car means your team wont have time to repair it overnight.

So, yeah, not so convinced handing these powers to the 'highly fair and consistent' FIA stewards is a good idea...

 

[dannyjo22]

So... the result of this is nobody wants to overtake each other, as doing so and making a mistake means you get banned from the next race. You also dont want to move about defending as it will get you excluded....

Theres a difference between defending and cutting the road off for your competitor so he either has to back right out or have an accident. If they made it so you had to leave a cars width on the outside or inside of the car you were battling you would see far more overtaking battles.

If they tightened the rules up in that area people would actually have a go safe in the knowledge that the car they were trying to pass wouldn't just cut them off.

 

[FrankJH]

Most of that could have occured in previous years - the FIA / Stewards just chose not to in most cases

So the severity may have changed, so x driver might get a worse penalty now than he got in 2010 for the same thing - but a lot of stuff gets ignored or not-actioned by the stewards to start with for one reason or another

Curfew is a little stupid imo - this is (meant to be) a professional sport, and the teams have to be run as they see fit, yes its hard for the mechanics etc but thats the buzz of getting something done to affect the race (hopefully positively)
Nothing at all to do with the FIA, imo