(*) Thursday for the Monaco Grand Prix
10. CAN ANY CIRCUIT HOST A GRAND PRIX?
Originally, a Grand Prix could be held anywhere, but the increases in car performance have
forced the FIA to impose stringent conditions on the lay-out, width and length of a
circuit, as well as the surface, safety provisions and facilities.
11. HOW IS A CIRCUIT DEEMED SUITABLE TO HOLD A GRAND
PRIX?
Each circuit must be homologated by the FIA Circuits and Safety Commission following a
series of inspections which are carried out from the start of the work right up until the
inauguration of the circuit. The homologation criteria are less strict for circuits
hosting events for slower formulae. In addition to the initial procedure, the circuits
sometimes have to carry out maintenance work or update their facilities so that their
homologation may be renewed. In the past, with the exception of the Monaco Grand Prix,
which is the only event to take place within a town itself, circuits tended to be very
fast with long straights. The increase in the cars' performances has meant that these
straights have had to give way to series of bends, which are the only means of preventing
excessive speeds. Similarly, very long tracks, like that at the old N�rburgring (22.835
km), have had to be abandoned, since the costs involved in providing the safety facilities
and personnel required by the regulations together with the technical facilities necessary
for television broadcasting are too great. Monaco is still the shortest circuit (3.328
km), whilst Spa is the longest (6.940 km).
12. WHAT CRITERIA MUST A CONSTRUCTOR MEET TO BE ABLE
TO PARTICIPATE?
A constructor who wishes to become involved in Formula One must submit his entry to the
FIA, to which he must provide evidence that he is both the designer and constructor of the
chassis of his car, and that he also has sufficient technical and financial resources to
take part in the whole of the Championship.
13. WHO IS THE CONSTRUCTOR OF A FORMULA ONE CAR?
By Formula One constructor, we mean the chassis manufacturer. In most cases, this is not
the same as the engine manufacturer, and the name of the chassis manufacturer is always
given before that of the engine manufacturer. In the event of winning the Constructors'
World Championship, the title is awarded to the chassis manufacturer.
Ferrari is currently the only constructor producing both the chassis and the engine.
14. DO THE CONSTRUCTORS HAVE TO COMPETE THROUGHOUT
THE SEASON?
Yes. Any constructor who fails to turn up at an event may be fined several hundred
thousand dollars per event and per car, except in the case of force majeure (but the FIA
is very strict when it comes to defining a case of force majeure). A constructor may not
join the championship during the season.
15. ON WHAT CRITERIA ARE THE FORMULA ONE TECHNICAL
REGULATIONS BASED?
They address two main concerns:
1. Controlling performance, in the interests of safety, whilst at the same time
preserving the visual perception of speed and of the technological prowess of a Formula
One car;
2. Ensuring the best possible level of passive safety in the event of an accident.
There are thus restrictions on cylinder capacity, fuel, tyre dimensions, the minimum
weight and width of the car, as well as on the dimensions and positioning of the
aerodynamic devices and on electronic driving aids, most of which are prohibited.
Moreover, there are stipulations relating not only to the strength of the chassis and the
protective rollbars, but also to flexible fuel tanks (inspired by military aviation), fire
extinguishers, harnesses, head and neck protection, and so on. The positions of the fuel
and oil tanks are specified and they must have special protection. Access to and from the
cockpit together with its dimensions are also controlled.
For financial reasons, engines which are not reciprocating or 4-stroke are prohibited, and
the engines are restricted to a maximum of twelve cylinders which cannot have an oval
section. It is obligatory for each car to have four wheels, only two of which are driven
(yes, in the past there were Formula One cars with six wheels!).
16. CAN ANY DRIVER COMPETE IN A GRAND PRIX?
In order to be able to take part in a Grand Prix, a driver must hold a "Super
Licence", which is awarded on the basis of his past record in junior formulae and of
his having a valid contract with a Formula One team which has entered the World
Championship.
17. ARE THE TEAMS ALLOWED TO CHANGE DRIVER DURING
THE SEASON?
Yes, each team with two cars may change the driver of its first car once in the season.
For the second car, a maximum of three drivers may take turns, without restriction, during
any one season. This excludes cases of force majeure, which are not counted. Notification
of a change of driver must be made before the end of the scrutineering and the sporting
checks (the Thursday preceding the event, at 18.00).
18. DO THE DRIVERS KEEP THE SAME RACE NUMBER
THROUGHOUT THE SEASON?
Yes, if they stay with the same team, as the numbers are attributed to the constructors,
and not the drivers, at the beginning of the season. The only exceptions to this are the
reigning World Champion, who is always allocated number 1 even if he is driving for a
different make from that with which he won the title, and his team mate who is given
number 2.
19. IS THE NUMBER OF LAPS DURING THE PRACTICE
SESSIONS FREE?
For qualifying practice, a maximum of 12 laps is allowed and any driver running over the
maximum of 12 laps will have its best qualifying time withdrawn. The number of laps is no
longer limited for the free practice sessions, including the warm-up.
20. WHAT IS THE WARM-UP?
The warm-up is a free practice session which takes place on the morning of the race and
lasts for half an hour. Only drivers who have qualified may take part in it. It is
obligatory for this practice session to begin four and a half hours before the start of
the race. If all the practice sessions have taken place in dry conditions and it begins to
rain after the warm-up, or vice-versa, the Race Director may authorise an additional
15-minute practice session, which will allow the cars to adapt to the weather conditions.
The warm-up is very important, since it enables the teams to test the cars in their race
configuration, in conditions (pressure, temperature, humidity, etc.) which are,
theoretically, very similar to those of the race itself.
21. CAN THE DRIVERS CHANGE CARS DURING THE EVENT?
During the practice sessions, teams with two cars may use a maximum of two cars for
each day of free practice, and a maximum of three cars for qualifying practice, provided
that all the cars have been checked by the Scrutineers and are of the same make (chassis and
engine).
During the race, however, no change of car is authorised following the green light
signalling the start of the formation lap.
Nevertheless, if the race is interrupted before two laps have been completed, the
starting procedure is repeated, and car changes are authorised once again until the green
light (indicating the start of the formation lap) is shown.
22. HOW DO DRIVERS QUALIFY FOR A RACE?
Qualifying practice is on Saturday, from 1 pm to 2 pm. During this hour each driver has a
maximum of 12 laps to set the fastest possible time.
The driver who set the fastest time will start from the first line in the so-called
"pole position", and the others will line up on the grid in the order of the
times they have achieved. In the event of a tie, the driver who achieved the time first is
given priority.
Any driver whose fastest time in qualifying practice exceeds the pole position time by 7%
or more is not allowed to start without special permission of the stewards.
23. HOW IS THE STARTING GRID ARRANGED?
The starting grid consists of two cars per row in staggered formation, with an interval of
eight metres between each row and the next.
24. DO THE CONSTRUCTORS DESIGN SPECIAL CARS FOR THE
QUALIFYING SESSION?
Special cars as such are not built specifically for qualification, but, in a few cases
only, special engines, or even special set-ups, are designed for qualifying practice, so
that the engine's full potential may be reached, even though this shortens its life-span.
25. HOW LONG DOES A GRAND PRIX LAST?
The distance of a Grand Prix may not exceed 305 km, and no race may last for more than two
hours. On certain slower circuits (such as Monaco), in the event of rain, the Clerk of the
Course is sometimes obliged to stop the race after two hours.
26. DOES A GRAND PRIX ALWAYS GO AHEAD, RAIN OR
SHINE?
Yes, a Formula One Grand Prix takes place in all weather conditions, and the tyre
manufacturers have developed treaded tyres which help to avoid the risk of aquaplaning.
Nevertheless, the Clerk of the Course has the power to stop the event, if this becomes
necessary for safety reasons. Apart from grip, the greatest problem in the event of rain
is visibility, which is significantly reduced due to the spray thrown up by the cars'
tyres. In order to counteract this problem, the cars are equipped with a red light at the
rear which must be switched on if it starts to rain.
27. HOW POWERFUL ARE FORMULA ONE ENGINES?
Even though the constructors refuse to divulge details of their engine power, it is
rumoured that at the beginning of the 1997 season the maximum power easily exceeded seven
hundred horse power. Manufacturers of engines with eight or ten cylinders maintain that
maximum power is not the only valid criteria, since there is also the power curve which in
their case is better at a low engine speed.
28. WHAT SPEEDS DO FORMULA ONE CARS REACH?
The Grand Prix with the highest average speed in history was the 1971 Italian Grand Prix,
won by Peter Gethin in a BRM at an average speed of 242.615 kph (151.634 mph) on the Monza
circuit which at the time did not yet have any chicanes (interestingly, a recent computer
simulation suggested that current Formula One cars would achieve an average speed of well
over 300 kph - 190 mph - on the original circuit). In 1997, the fastest Grand Prix was the
Italian, won by David Coulthard at an average of 238.036 kph (147.940 mph). The highest
speed recorded during practice in 1997 was 250.295 kph (155.559 mph), which was set at
Monza by Jean Alesi, whilst the highest straight line speed recorded during a Grand Prix
in the 1997 season was set by Jacques Villeneuve, at 351.7 kph (218.6 mph), during the
German Grand Prix. The lowest average speed of a Grand Prix winner in 1997 was 104.264 kph
(64.800 mph), and was recorded by Michael Schumacher in the Monaco Grand Prix.
29. ARE THE CARS CURRENTLY USED FASTER THAN THE CARS
OF THE "TURBO" ERA?
If a 1.5-litre turbocharged car were produced today, as was the case up until 1988, it
would be a great deal faster than the contemporary 3-litre cars. However, contemporary
cars benefit from significant technological progress, allowing them to exceed the speeds
of the 1988 turbocharged models, despite the fact that these were able to rely on over
1200 horse power in qualifying!
30. CAN A FORMULA ONE CAR RACE WITHOUT SUSPENSION
LIKE A KART?
The regulations stipulate genuine suspension - the fitting of silent-blocks is not
sufficient. However, the current cars have very little suspension travel, in order to
restrict changes in trim which would influence the effectiveness of the aerodynamic
devices.
31. WHY DO THE REGULATIONS REQUIRE THE CARS TO HAVE
A FLAT BOTTOM?
It became evident that significant lift could be achieved by giving the bottom of the two
side members the shape of inverted aeroplane wings. In order to reduce downforce (the
so-called "ground effect"), and thus reduce cornering speed, the FIA made it
obligatory for each car to have a flat bottom between the front of the rear wheels and the
rear of the front wheels, as well as a ground clearance obtained by means of a skid block
attached to the flat bottom. The constructors have nevertheless managed to optimise the
behaviour of the airfoils and aerodynamic extractors situated behind the gear box, to such
an extent that a current Formula One car is capable of a transverse acceleration of up to
4G, whereas a road car does not exceed 1G.
32. ARE FORMULA ONE CARS FITTED WITH A STARTER?
A starter has not been obligatory for several years, and teams choose not to fit one in
order to prevent an additional source of energy from causing incidents such as a fire or
an explosion. They are authorised to use a portable starter in front of their pits, but if
a driver stalls on the circuit during the race, he has to retire, even if the car restarts
once the marshals have pushed it away from a dangerous position.
33. DO FORMULA ONE CARS HAVE AUTOMATIC GEARBOXES?
Automatic gearboxes are prohibited by the technical regulations. However, all the cars are
equipped with semi-automatic gearboxes: to change gear, the driver no longer has to
activate the clutch pedal at the same time as the gear lever. He simply presses a button
on the side of his steering wheel. There is a button on each side: one for changing up,
the other for changing down. He therefore no longer has to take his hand off the steering
wheel, and this hydraulic device, which is electronically activated, allows the driver to
change gear in one or two hundredths of a second, which is unquestionably faster than with
a conventional system.
34. HOW MANY GEAR RATIOS DO FORMULA ONE CARS HAVE?
The rapid changes possible with semi-automatic gearboxes mean that transmissions with a
greater number of ratios (six or seven) can be installed. On circuits with a large number
of bends, the drivers only use four or five ratios. Reverse gear is obligatory, but must
not be used in the pit-lane, on pain of immediate exclusion from the Grand Prix.
35. DO FORMULA ONE CARS HAVE BETTER BRAKES THAN
SERIES PRODUCED CARS?
The brakes on series-produced cars are derived from the disc brakes which were first used
in racing. All Formula One cars are equipped with brakes with callipers made from light
alloy while the discs and pads tend to be made from synthetic materials, i.e.
carbon/carbon. Their resistance to heat is much greater than that of series-produced
brakes (which is why, in certain conditions, the insides of the wheels appear completely
incandescent) and they weigh significantly less. Their braking power is thus uncommonly
high: at the end of a straight, at maximum speed (around 340 kph - 212.5 mph), a Formula
One car can brake at less than 100 metres in order to take a slow corner. Naturally,
carbon/carbon is expensive: it takes six months to produce a disc, at a temperature of
between 900 and 2000�C. The same material is now used to produce clutch discs.
36. IS A SPECIAL TYPE OF FUEL USED IN FORMULA ONE?
No. "Green", unleaded fuel is used, similar to that available at petrol
stations. The petrol used in Formula One also has to comply with the strictest EEC
standards concerning pollution.
At one time, the fuel used in Formula One consisted of a mixture of hydrocarbons, and was
a very special fuel, which bore no resemblance to commercial petrol.
The FIA put an end to these permissive regulations, with the dual aim of steering the oil
companies' research in the right direction, so that it would benefit the ordinary motor
car, and of significantly reducing pollution.
It is clear that even after this revision of the regulations, the fuel used by Formula One
cars is still not yet available from petrol pumps. However, it is also clear that the oil
companies are obliged by the regulations to use fuels which could be commercialised, and
which probably will be in the future. It is therefore evident that Formula One continues
to serve as a laboratory, which will ultimately be of benefit to the ordinary motor car
(see also question 40).
37. HOW MANY TYRES ARE AUTHORISED PER CAR AT EACH
GRAND PRIX?
The regulations stipulate that each driver may use a maximum of 40 dry-weather tyres and
28 wet-weather tyres throughout the duration of the event. Moreover, each driver may use a
maximum of two rubber specifications for his dry-weather tyres during free practice, but
he must designate the rubber specification he wishes to use for the rest of the event
before the start of qualifying practice. Thus, the maximum number of tyres he may use for
qualifying practice, the warm-up and the race is 28 (14 front and 14 rear), chosen from
amongst the 40. All of these tyres are marked by the scrutineers, who are also responsible
for checking that no driver exceeds the maximum number of tyres allowed.
38. HOW IS THE TYPE OF RUBBER SELECTED?
A hard or softer type of rubber is selected on the basis of the driver's style, the design
of the car, the atmospheric temperature and the lay-out of the circuit. In general, the
slower the circuit and the cooler the temperature, the softer the rubber, allowing greater
grip. On the other hand, high speeds, together with a highly abrasive track and a heavy
and powerful car wear the tyres down more quickly. The team and the driver must therefore
strike a balance between various options, i.e. whether to mount harder tyres which grip
less well but permit fewer pit-stops, or whether to use softer tyres which will have to be
changed several times during the race. A judicious choice sometimes enables one of the
less powerful cars to win a Grand Prix. Tyre changes are a part of the Formula One
landscape; the better trained teams usually manage to change all four tyres and refuel in
the space of 5 to 10 seconds.
39. ARE THE CARS CHECKED DURING THE EVENT?
The day before practice begins, the Scrutineers carry out a tour of the garages, checking
that all the cars comply with the regulations. In addition to this, spot checks may be
carried out at any time, and all the cars which finish the race are checked in the parc
ferm� once they have crossed the finish line. Any car which does not comply with the
technical regulations is penalised with exclusion. This penalty is declared by the
Stewards.
40. HOW ARE THE FUEL CHECKS CARRIED OUT?
At the start of the season, each team entered in the Championship must provide a sample of
120 litres of the petrol it wishes to use. The sample is analysed in a specialised
laboratory, to check not only that it is in conformity with the Technical Regulations, but
also that it is a genuine fuel of the type "available from the pump".
If the sample is approved, an "imprint" (a sort of "genetic code" of
the fuel) is provided. At the events, the FIA Technical Delegate carries out spot checks,
taking samples of petrol from the cars during the practice sessions or after the race.
Using the principles of gas chromatography with extremely sophisticated and very accurate
technological equipment (a gas chromatograph and a machine for measuring the density of
the fuel), the samples are analysed instantaneously, to see on site whether their
"imprint" is identical to the reference imprint approved by the FIA.
If a sample is not in conformity, the Technical Delegate will make a report to the
Stewards of the Meeting, who may then pronounce the exclusion of the car in question or
any other sanction provided for in the Regulations.
Of course, a team may change the petrol it uses several times during the season, but each
time it wishes to do so it must submit a new sample to the FIA before using this new
petrol. If this sample is approved, the reference "imprint" of this new petrol
will be registered.
41. HOW CAN PROHIBITED ELECTRONIC FUNCTIONS BE
DETECTED?
On site, at each Grand Prix, the FIA has an electronic laboratory as well as sophisticated
equipment and a team of experts who, at any time (even on the starting grid!), may check
whether the cars' electronics is concealing electronic driving aids prohibited by the
regulations, such as traction control.
The electronics of a Formula One car comprise up to 500,000 lines of source code
(software). Obviously, it would be impossible to carry out an in-depth check of such an
electronic program, for example on the grid just before the start of the Grand Prix.
Therefore, the procedure is similar to that used for the petrol. The teams provide the FIA
with their electronic programme, and the FIA checks it in detail before the start of the
season. Once the programme is approved, the FIA keeps an "imprint" (an
electronic "genetic code" of the car); at the events, the FIA team assigned to
check the electronic programmes makes sure that the programmes installed in the cars do
not differ in any way from the approved model. If need be, they may examine in detail only
the lines which do not correspond to those of the approved code, and check whether or not
they contain one or more parameters in breach of the regulations.
Once again, if anything is not in conformity, the Technical Delegate makes a report to the
Stewards of the Meeting who will decide to exclude the car or to impose any other sanction
provided for in the Regulations.
42. WHAT ROLE DOES THE TECHNICAL DELEGATE PLAY?
The FIA Technical Delegate heads the team of Scrutineers responsible for checking that the
cars comply with the Technical Regulations. If he finds that a car does not comply, he
submits a report to the Stewards, but does not have the power to disqualify or penalise a
car himself.
43. WHO ARE THE STEWARDS AND WHAT ARE THEIR POWERS?
The three Stewards are the judges, or the referees, of an event. They examine the reports
submitted by the various officials and, once they have heard the explanations and defence
of all the parties concerned, decide on any sanctions. In order to ensure sporting equity,
the Stewards vary from one event to another; two of them are nominated by the FIA from
amongst holders of the Stewards' "super licence". The third Steward is
designated by the National Sporting Authority of the country in which the event is taking
place. The Stewards appointed by the FIA are of a different nationality from that of the
country in which the event is taking place.
They may, at any time, impose the sanctions set out in the International Sporting Code
and, if they judge the behaviour of a competitor or a driver to be reprehensible, they may
request that he be summoned before the World Motor Sport Council.
44. WHAT TYPES OF SANCTIONS MAY BE IMPOSED?
The sanctions set out in the International Sporting Code range from a reprimand to
disqualification, and include fines, exclusion, suspension for one or more races, and even
the withdrawal of Championship points.
During the race, the Stewards may also impose a time penalty on a driver. In this case,
the driver must remain at his pit for the duration of his penalty. In reality, this
penalty, which is usually 10 seconds, involves a far greater loss of time, given the time
taken to return to the pit and to leave it again, both at reduced speed. Depending on the
configuration of the circuit, this can result in a time loss of between 25 and 40 seconds.
For any faults committed during qualifying practice, whether they be of a sporting or
technical nature, the Stewards may also cancel all the driver's times. Nevertheless, the
Stewards have the power to authorise a driver who is penalised in this manner to take the
start from the back of the grid.
45. ARE THE STEWARDS' DECISIONS FINAL?
No. Any competitor who feels that he has been unfairly penalised by a Stewards' decision
may appeal against this decision before the International Court of Appeal. He must declare
his intention to do so within one hour of being notified of the Stewards' decision.
Similarly, the FIA has the right to defer a decision of the Stewards to the International
Court of Appeal, if it believes that the Stewards have misjudged or inappropriately
penalised the matter. There have already been cases in which the Stewards or the Clerk of
the Course have been penalised by having their licences suspended, or in which
competitors' rights have been restored by the International Court of Appeal.
46. WHAT IS THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF APPEAL?
It is the final and highest recourse, and is, in a way, the F�d�ration Internationale de
l'Automobile's very own "Supreme Court of Appeal". The International Court of
Appeal is independent of the Sport, and its fifteen members, who have a three-year
mandate, are chosen from amongst eminent judges and magistrates (some of whom are Supreme
Court of Appeal judges in their own country). In order for the International Court of
Appeal to be able to convene, at least three judges must be present, none of whom may be
of the same nationality as any of the parties concerned.
47. WHAT ARE THE PREROGATIVES OF THE CLERK OF THE
COURSE AND THE RACE DIRECTOR?
The Clerk of the Course, who is nominated by the organiser, is materially responsible for
the co-ordination of all the officials and track marshals at the Grand Prix. It is he who
gives the order to send out the safety car, for example, or to stop the race or practice
session. Nevertheless, the Clerk of the Course must work closely with, and under the
authority of, the Race Director, who is nominated by the FIA. The same Race Director
officiates at all the Grands Prix in the Championship.
The Race Director also acts as Safety Delegate and Official Starter, whilst it is the
Clerk of the Course who waves the traditional chequered flag at the end of the race.
48. HOW IS THE RACE STARTED?
� Half an hour before the start, the cars leave the pit lane. The drivers may cover
several laps if they wish, but to do this they must pass through the pit lane at greatly
reduced speed. They come to a standstill on the starting grid with their engines stopped.
� Fifteen minutes before the start, the pit lane exit is closed and any driver who is
not yet on the track has to start from the pit lane exit, after all the other competitors
have gone past.
� Five minutes before the start, access to the grid is closed and any driver who is
delayed on the circuit has to start from the pit lane exit. His vacant position is not
filled on the grid.
� When the green light comes, the drivers begin the formation lap. When they come back
to the grid, they keep their engines running.
� Once all the cars have come to a halt in their starting positions, the starter
activates the automatic pre-programmed final start procedure: five lights turn red one
after the other at one second intervals until all five lights are lit. The start signal is
the extinction of all the lights at once. This occurs between 0.2 and 3 seconds after the
last red light has been lit. This lapse of time is pre-programmed by the starter at each
race, but kept secret.
If a driver is delayed during the formation lap and arrives within sight of the grid once
the starting procedure is underway, he must start from the pit lane.
49. HOW ARE FALSE STARTS DETECTED?
Each position on the grid is equipped with electronic sensors. These transmit a signal to
a central unit located in the control tower if any car moves before the start signal has
been given. The Stewards will usually inflict a time penalty on a driver who jumps the
start.
50. WHAT HAPPENS IF A DRIVER STALLS ON THE STARTING
GRID?
There are three distinct scenarios:
� If a driver stalls whilst the green light is on (indicating the start of the
formation lap), his mechanics are allowed to push the car to get it to start, once all the
competitors have left the grid. Since overtaking is not permitted during the formation
lap, he must start from the back of the grid. However, a driver who has had difficulty
starting the car but who manages to leave before the last car has crossed the Start/Finish
line is allowed to overtake during the formation lap and take up his original position on
the grid.
� If a driver stalls on the grid after the formation lap, but before the start, he
must raise his arm to notify the starter, who turns on the flashing yellow lights. The
start is aborted and the procedure begins again from the "5-minute" board. In
order to compensate for the additional formation lap, the race is reduced by one lap. The
driver responsible for the false start must start from the back of the grid.
� If a driver stalls during the start (when all the lights are extinguished), and
therefore too late for the starting procedure to be interrupted and aborted, the marshals
will push his car to the pit lane once all the competitors have left the grid. If the
driver is then able to start his engine, he may rejoin the race. Otherwise, he is pushed
back to his pit where his mechanics will take over.
51. ARE THERE SPECIAL STARTING PROCEDURES IN THE
EVENT OF RAIN?
In the event of rain, the regulations provide for different possibilities, depending on
the circumstances:
� If the rain is such that, in the opinion of the Race Director, it would be dangerous
to start the race with the normal procedure, it is possible to start behind the
"Safety Car". In this case, the revolving yellow lights on the Safety Car, which
is positioned in front of the starting grid, are switched on at the 5-minute signal. This
indicates to the drivers that the race will be started behind the Safety Car. When the
green light is switched on, the Safety Car leaves the grid followed by all the other cars.
The race starts when the leading car having completed one lap crosses the Start/Finish
line. Overtaking is permitted only after the Safety Car has returned into the pit lane
(see 55). Prior to this, overtaking is only permitted in order to pass a car which remains
on the grid, or in order to retain a grid position provided the car overtaking left the
grid before the last car crossed the Start/Finish line.
� If it starts to rain after the 5-minute signal but before the start of the race, the
procedure may be interrupted and recommence at the 15-minute point.
� If the start of the race is imminent and a particularly heavy shower begins, and the
volume of water on the track is such that it cannot be negotiated safely, the procedure
may be interrupted by the Race Director, who will order a "10" board with a red
background to be shown. This indicates that the start has been aborted and that there will
be a delay of at least 10 minutes before the procedure is resumed.
If weather conditions have improved at the end of the ten-minute period, a "10"
board with a green background will be shown, indicating that the start of the formation
lap will be given 10 minutes later.
If however, the weather conditions have not improved within ten minutes, the
"10" board with the red background is shown again, indicating a further delay of
ten minutes. This procedure may be repeated several times, but it is not necessary to wait
for the end of the 10 minutes to show the green board.
52. CAN THE RACE BE STOPPED?
Yes, the Clerk of the Course (under the direction of the FIA Race Director) may interrupt
the race at any time in the interests of safety, and particularly if the circuit is
blocked. This is done by ordering red flags to be shown along the whole of the track.
53. WHAT PROCEDURES APPLY WHEN THE RACE IS
INTERRUPTED?
In the event of this happening, there are three possibilities, depending on the number of
laps completed by the race leader:
A. Less than two laps completed
B. Two or more laps completed, but less than 75% of the total distance of the race
C.75% or more of the total race distance completed.
In case A, which is typical when accidents occur during the start, the first
start is considered null and void and the new start is given twenty minutes later.
In case B, the race is considered to be in two parts. Thus, if the safety
conditions permit, there is a second start twenty minutes later, for which the grid is
determined on the basis of the classification of the penultimate lap before the signal to
stop the race was given (red flag). If a second start cannot be given, the classification
of the race will be that of the penultimate lap preceding the signal to stop the race and
only half the points will be awarded.
In case C, the race will be considered as finished, and all the points will be
awarded on the basis of the classification of the penultimate lap preceding the signal to
stop the race.
54. WHEN IS THE SAFETY CAR USED?
The purpose of the Safety Car is to neutralise the race in the event of an accident or
other incident which exposes competitors or officials to immediate physical danger. This
is not only to allow ambulances and other emergency teams to be able to get through, but
also because the presence of these vehicles on the track would constitute a major risk for
the other competitors if the race had not been neutralised. However, the Safety Car may
only be used when the track is not blocked.
55. WHAT PROCEDURE IS FOLLOWED FOR THE SAFETY CAR?
The Clerk of the Course (under the direction of the FIA Race Director) is responsible for
giving the order to dispatch the Safety Car. When the Safety Car is in use, and as soon as
it leaves the pit-lane, a yellow flag together with the "SC" board is shown at
the track marshals' posts. Overtaking is prohibited, and the cars must reduce their speed
and line up, in classification order, behind the Safety Car. As soon as circuit (or
weather) conditions permit, the Safety Car will extinguish its revolving lights and return
to the pit lane to indicate that the race will start again when the cars next cross the
Start/Finish line.
56. DO THE LAPS COVERED BEHIND THE SAFETY CAR COUNT?
Yes, all the laps covered behind the Safety Car count as part of the total distance of the
race.
57. MAY A CAR STOP AT ITS PIT WHILST THE SAFETY CAR
IS ON THE TRACK?
Yes, but it may only rejoin the track when the green light is on in the pit lane. It will
be on at all times except when the Safety Car and the line of cars following it are about
to pass or are passing the pit exit.
A car rejoining the track will proceed at reduced speed until it reaches the end of the
line of cars behind the Safety Car.
Thus, a car which makes a pit stop in such circumstances will lose its position and rejoin
the race at the back of the field, but not necessarily in last place since there might be
cars in the field which are one or more laps behind the car which made the pit-stop.
58. IS REFUELLING ALLOWED DURING THE RACE?
Yes, but it must be carried out with the refuelling equipment supplied by the FIA. The
system is based on aviation equipment and complies with all the other safety requirements
laid down by the FIA.
Refuelling is not obligatory.
59. ARE THERE ANY SPEED LIMITS?
Strange though it may seem, yes, but only in the pit lane, where the speed limit is
between 80 or 120 kph (50 or 75 mph), depending on the circuit and the configuration of
the pit lane.
There are electronic devices checking the speed of the cars along the whole of the pit
lane; if a competitor exceeds the limit during the race, he is usually penalised with a
time penalty (see question 44), whereas if he exceeds it during a practice session, he is
usually given a fine ($ x km). However, as in everyday life, the severity of the
punishment is proportional to the seriousness of the offence, and also takes repeat
offences into account.
To avoid this, most of the constructors have equipped their cars with a "speed
limiter" which the driver has to activate (usually by pressing a button on the
steering wheel) as soon as he enters the pit lane. However, sometimes drivers forget to do
so...
60. IN WHAT CONDITIONS ARE THE CARS WEIGHED?
The Scrutineers may weigh the cars at all times, to make sure that they never weigh less
than 600 kg, including driver. Electronic weighing devices are located at the entrance to
the pit lane to enable these checks to be carried out. During qualifying practice, an
electronic programme selects at random the cars which are to be checked. When a car is
chosen by the computer, a red light comes on and the driver returning to his pit must
proceed to the weighing area. If the weight of the car is insufficient, the driver is
excluded for the rest of the event, but he has the right to request that the car be
weighed a second time. To avoid cheating, any car which breaks down on the circuit also
has to pass in front of the computer which decides whether the car must be weighed in the
same conditions. At the finish of the race, all the cars are directed to the parc ferm�
where they are weighed; the drivers are also weighed before proceeding to the podium or to
their motorhome. If a car's weight does not comply at the finish, it is excluded from the
classification. Such an instance has already occurred.
61. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT SIGNALS WHICH THE
OFFICIALS MAY GIVE TO THE COMPETITORS?
In addition to the red flag, "stopping the race", and the chequered
flag, "end of the race", there are other flags, each having a specific
meaning.
The blue flag indicates "a competitor is about to overtake you", but if
the flag is waved, it orders him to let the other car overtake, on pain of a time penalty
for obstruction. This order is only given to a car which is one or more laps behind the
overtaker. The yellow flag indicates danger, and overtaking under yellow flag is
always prohibited. Also the yellow flag may have two meanings, depending if it is
stationary ("drive well within your limits") or waved ("slow down").
The green flag indicates the end of the danger and of the ban on overtaking. The
flag with vertical red and yellow stripes warns the competitors that the track is
slippery (usually oil), and a black flag with an orange disc accompanied by the
number of a car warns the driver that his car has a mechanical problem and that he must go
to his pit. A flag with a white triangle and a black triangle accompanied by the
number of a car is a warning for unsporting behaviour. The black flag, accompanied
by the number of a car, summons the driver of such car to immediately return to his pit.
This procedure is mostly used to notify a competitor of his exclusion from the race.
62. DOES THE CHEQUERED FLAG ALWAYS SIGNAL THE
FINISH?
Yes, even if the Clerk of the Course waves his flag too early, the race still ends when he
gives this signal. However, if he waves it too late the classification is that obtained at
the end of the scheduled number of laps. Only cars which have covered 90% of the distance
will be classified. A driver does not necessarily have to still be on the track to be
classified, but if a car takes more than twice as long as the fastest lap time achieved by
the winner to complete his last lap, this lap will not be taken into account.
63. IS PRIVATE TESTING ON CIRCUITS AUTHORISED?
If an event is due to be held on a new circuit, free practice may take place on the
Thursday before the event.
Otherwise, private testing is forbidden:
� On any circuit which appears on the Formula One World Championship calendar, except for
Monza, Barcelona, Silverstone and Magny Cours.
� On all circuits during the week preceding the event (except for a shakedown test of no
more than 50 km). � On any circuit which has not been approved for Formula One.
