New rules in Formula 1 have been published in a bid to resolve issues that emerged during the opening races of 2024, following the recent F1 Commission meeting.
The updates to the sporting regulations aim to prevent drivers from making an early start and ensure teams do not sit out testing sessions in the rain to save their tires.
Lando Norris has been accused by some of his rivals of pre-empting the start of last month’s Saudi Grand Prix when his car moved before the starting red lights went out. However, an investigation cleared the McLaren driver as the FIA transponder fitted to his car did not indicate that it had moved.
An update to F1’s sporting regulations now allows stewards to decide that a car has moved too early even if the transponder does not recognize it. The revised rule no longer specifies that the judgment must be made “by a transponder approved and supplied by the FIA”.
It states that a driver will be penalized for a false start if he moves “after the four-second light is on and before the starting signal is given by turning off all the red lights”. The “four-second” warning is when the second pair of red lights are turned on before departure.
The FIA also added a new rule aimed at encouraging teams to carry out heavier runs during rainy free practice sessions instead of retaining their limited allocation of intermediate tires. A new clause has been inserted, article 30.5 (g), to discourage teams from storing rain tires for the rest of the weekend.
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali was among those who expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of running during the second free practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka earlier this month, under the rain.
“Of the five sets of intermediate tires allocated to each driver under Article 30.2 (a) ii, if the first, second or third free practice session is declared wet, at most one set of intermediate tires must be returned late two hours after the end of Free 3.”
