Formula 1 race director Niels Wittich has issued updated guidance regarding which lines drivers are allowed to cross at the pitlane entry and exit — and by how much.
Following Ferrari’s failed protest against Max Verstappen for crossing the pit exit line at the Monaco grand prix (see image above), the FIA has sought to clarify the rules. And, as usual, hasn’t. “In accordance with Chapter 4, Article 4 and 5 of Appendix L to the ISC, drivers must follow the procedures at pit entry and pit exit.” Gee, that clears things up. Didn’t they have to follow the procedures before? Well, yes, they did, but they had to keep to the right of the line. Now they’re allowed to touch it (with their wheels, obviously, not their hands or anything) and will only be penalised (or not) if the whole of the tyre goes beyond the line. Which for some reason reminds me of The Waterboys.
The revised Article 4 rule now states that, “Except in cases of force majeure (accepted as such by the Stewards), any tyre of a car entering the pitlane must not cross, in any direction, any line painted on the track at the pit entry for the purpose of separating cars entering the pitlane from those on the track.”
Why the rule was changed is unclear, as in effect all it does is give drivers an extra half a metre or so to play with. And will it prevent more protests in the future? Ha!
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