F1 stategy group postpones halo, lifts radio limitations

The Formula One Strategy Group have discussed and decided upon a number of critical issues with the sport today, following considerable criticism from teams and fans based on incidents that happened over the last few races.

The group came together in Geneva, Switzerland and consisted of FIA, commercial rights holder FOM and 6 teams (Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, Williams & Force India).

Some of the decisions made will however require a change in the Sporting or Technical Regulations, and hence still need to be ratified. Given the proximity of the start of the 2017 season, this will require a unanimous vote in the Strategy Group, as well as an unanimous vote afterwards in the F1 Commission. Decision which do not need alterations on the officially written regulations, only need an unanimous vote in the Strategy Group.

1. Introduction of the Halo rejected

The Strategy Group decided it rather wants to wait out with a driver protection system until it is properly tested and every alternative has been looked into, with an eye on the introduction of the Halo or similar head protective device in 2018. Several teams already publicly stated their concerns regarding the device. Red Bull's team manager Christian Horner even went as far as saying last week he'd probably vote against it.

However, chances are the Halo can still be introduced next year. The FIA, being a heavy supporter of the device, stated several times in the past they want it on the cars from next year on, could push it it through based on safety reasons. It lents this authority from the Sporting Regulations:

1.2 These Sporting Regulations may only be changed after 1 March 2015 with the unanimous agreement of all competitors entered in the 2016 Championship, save for changes made by the FIA for safety reasons which may come into effect without notice or delay.

It remains to be seen if the FIA wishes to use this regulation and rather not look for refining the head protection device for 2018.

2. Radio Communications Restrictions partly Reversed

The Strategy Group decided to reverse any restriction on radio communications during free practice, qualifying and the race. However, any radio communication during the formation lap is still prohibited to ensure the driver himself has to get the clutch into the perfect bite point.

These restrictions have been introduced by Technical Directive 014-16 at the start of this season. The TD acts as a clarification of Sporting Regulations Article 27.1:

27.1 The driver must drive the car alone and unaided.

The restrictions ensured the drivers operated the car without aid from the pit wall, with only a very narrow set of specific communications allowed to avoid a critical failure of the car, like for instance default settings on the steering wheel. In the last few Grand Prix' however, several teams found themselves in situation where the car was close to such critical issues but the team was not allowed to communicate this to the driver: -Sergio Perez had overheating brakes in Austria, but telling the driver that he needed to cool then was considered to be driver aid and thus the team could not communicate this to Sergio, with the result he crashed due malfunctioning brakes in the final lap. -Nico Rosberg then got penalized in the final stages of the British GP. Nico had a partly malfunctioning gearbox which kept him stuck in the same gear. The team was allowed to communicate to the driver how to reset through default settings. However, to ensure the problem would not arise again the team also instructed him to shift immediately through 7th gear. The FIA deemed this to be aid to the driver and subsequently handed Nico Rosberg a 10s penalty.
-Days before the Hungarian GP, the FIA slightly tweaked these rules and stated a driver has to pit when facing a critical issues. The driver can from there be instructed further how to deal with the issue. However, during the race Jenson Button faced a brake pedal issues which was a symptom of a lost of hydraulic pressure, which had further implications on the gearbox. After the team instructed Button not to shift any more, he got prompted with a drive through. Button afterwards slammed this decision.

After these events criticism grew immensely, resulting now in an almost full withdrawal of the rules set in the TD. Since this only involves the Directive, which stands only as a clarification and opinion of Charlie Whiting, and does not involve any change on article 27.1 itself, only unanimity in Strategy Group is needed, without any involvement of the Commission.

The result of the reversal is that driver coaching will also be allowed again, for instance a driver can be told again to brake X meters later or earlier before Corner Y. A more elaborate ruling to avoid these messages yet still allow flexibility towards preventing car failures might still be possible, this year or next year.

3. A more lenient stance on exceeding track limits

One of the more surprising agenda points on the meeting. In the last few races the FIA got increasingly tighter on enforcing the track limits. In Hungary they placed electronic sensors at certain corners to measure if a driver has crossed the white line with all four wheels. If the driver was measured to have exceeded track limits during qualifying, his time would be removed while during the race the driver would get 3 warnings before the stewards were forced to make an investigation. Both Kimi Raikkonen and Max Verstappen got a warning which was broadcast.

The reasoning behind this agenda point was that it is difficult to make an objective assessment of how much advantage a driver gains by going beyond the track limits. Rather then unduly penalizing a driver for what might even be a loss of laptime by for instance going to a patch of grass next to the track, the teams felt the FIA's stance should loosen.

Nothing conclusive has yet been decided on this as the FIA expressed their wish to have more time to evaluate this. Track limits are governed both in the Sporting Code as in the Sporting Regulations. However, the penalizing of it can be altered without any alteration to these rule books. A change of precedence or a Directive should suffice, which again does not require a voting in the Commission.

4. Standing starts in the rain

Another topic that stemmed from the British Grand Prix. The race could not immediately start due a spell of rain coming down on the track, which required the cars to carve out a drivable racing line first behind the safety car, after which the cars made a moving start instead of the normal standing one. In order to give spectators a bit more tension, cars are going to have to make a normal standing start in wet conditions.

Although the situation here is specifically described, the application in the regulations and when this new ruling starts, is not. This situation has some anchoring in the Sporting Regulations:

39.16 Under certain circumstances the race may be started behind the safety car or resumed in accordance with Article 42.5(a). In either case, at the ten minute signal its orange lights will be illuminated, this being the signal to the drivers that the race will be started (or resumed) behind the safety car. At the same time this will be confirmed to all teams via the official messaging system.

42.5 The race will be resumed behind the safety car when the green lights are illuminated. The safety car will enter the pits after one lap unless : a) The race is being resumed in wet conditions and the race director deems more than one lap necessary, in which case see Articles 24.4(g) and 39.16.

The regulations here describe what may be done during a start in wet conditions, but is not necessarily stating this has to be done or exclude alternatives. Depending on interpretation, the rules allow for a normal start in wet conditions which might be enforced by simple precedent or a directive. If the regulations have to be changed after all, every member of the F1 Commission will have to give its blessing as well.

5. Qualifying with double waved yellow flags

Although no public statements have been made on these discussions or any forthcoming decisions, it is known this was an agenda point.

During the Hungarian GP Qualifying, a small controversy broke out whether Nico Rosberg sufficiently slowed down for both the single waved and double waved flags through respectively corners 9 and 10 after Fernando Alonso crashed. Nico Rosberg set a purple time in the applicant sector and took furthermore took pole position in that lap. He later had to respond to an inquiry from the stewards, who ultimately deemed Nico to have slowed down sufficiently. However, teams and drivers have outed their concerns this could be a dangerous precedent.

It emerged later at the German Grand Prix that it was decided that race control would red flag qualifying at any time when double yellows would occur, therefore preventing any driver to set a timed lap at such moment.

6. Defensive driving lines

A race incident during the same Hungarian Grand Prix also triggered a discussion. Max Verstappen defended against an overtaking attempt from Kimi Raikkonen, arguably weaving under braking. Kimi could not react in time to the sudden move and broke off his front wing endplate and cascade on one of Verstappen's rear tyre. Although the stewards did not investigate the matter, should Verstappen have effectively weaved under braking, he would fall foul to 2 articles of the Sporting Regulations:

20.3 More than one change of direction to defend a position is not permitted.

20.5 Manoeuvres liable to hinder other drivers, such as deliberate crowding of a car beyond the edge of the track or any other abnormal change of direction, are not permitted.

The matter was later discussed during the driver meeting at the subsequent German Grand Prix. All drivers, except Verstappen, apparently agreed that the moves done by Verstappen were unacceptable, but realised that without a clear regulation on it, it will always end up as a decision depending on the interpretation of the stewards.