Formula 1: New Safety Car Rules

So now, finally, it has been said that the rules will be modified and such changes could actually take effect as soon as next weekend's race at Magny-Cours, round 8. It won’t be trialled on the race itself, it will be put through its paces in the practice session and if it is deemed successful, it will be implemented for race day should a safety car be required. Whether or not you see it as an improvement  will remain to be seen, so leave your comments in the usual way, and let’s have a mass debate. Ha ha.

The SOLUTION

The idea is to stop the cars drag racing it to the pits to get that vital stop in before the pit lane closes, this is dangerous and is the whole point in having the SC. So when the race director deems it necessary for the SC to be deployed, race control will send a message to the driver instructing them that the SC is on its way out. Then the driver will have to acknowledge the message to activate a program, which will set an engine speed limiter on the cars ECU (Engine Control Units). This will basically work the same way as the pit lane speed limiter where it will stop the car going over a certain speed until the SC is brought back in.

So, this means that the pit lane theoretically shouldn’t be closed and the drivers can access it but they will be under speed limit control.

The DISADVANTAGES

Let’s say for example a driver who may not be as honest as his peers claims he doesn’t see the message so does not acknowledge it. therefore not activating the limit immediately like everyone else. The honest driver is doing 100Kmph and the nasty driver is steaming along at 200kmph and steals a place. Will there be a time limit in which the drivers must acknowledge the message to prevent this?

Even with this new system in place the fundamental problems are still lurking, in Canada the cars would have potentially been going even slower, thus the red light still being on at the end of the pit lane anyway, no change there.

The system is still going to disadvantage a driver who is stuck behind his team mate unless is it confirmed that the pits will be open for the full period under speed limit?

So what do you think?

• Will it work?
• Is this system going to be the radical change that we need?
• Will it cause more of a hindrance rather than solving the issues we have?
• What other suggestions would you make?

OR...

After all is said and done do we really like how the system is working right now and it’s just been a few bad examples that have made it seem that the full system needs to be re-assessed?

Do we like the way that a SC brings that element of randomness into races that make the teams really earn their bread as they frantically try to re-jig a race strategy in around about 20 seconds flat?

Tell me what you guys think, comments and ratings please.

Ben, Over and Out!

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