Towards a softening of penalties for “unsafe release” in F1?
Hardened this season, the penalties imposed when teams do not safely release the cars that stop at the pits are deemed unfair by the drivers and could be softened by the Belgian Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Following the incident where a cameraman was hit by the wheel of Mark Webber’s Red Bull during the 2013 Hungarian Grand Prix, the FIA decided to systematically tighten the penalties imposed on drivers and teams responsible for releasing their cars in an unsafe manner during pit stops. However, according to our British colleagues at *Autosport*, this new severity could already be undermined.
Thus, the 2014 sporting regulations stipulate that when a car is released onto the track in a dangerous manner, it must incur a 10-place grid penalty for the next race. This penalty is in addition to the one imposed during the GP, often a stop-and-go.
But the drivers have expressed their dissatisfaction with these sanctions, which they consider unfair because this type of incident is beyond their control. This anger, highlighted during pilots’ briefings, could lead to a change, following discussions undertaken between the teams and the governing bodies.
A regulatory change is expected to be proposed in the coming weeks. For the regulation to evolve during the season—with the aim of a change occurring for the Belgian Grand Prix according to an FIA source—a unanimous vote from the teams will be required before the World Motor Sport Council can approve it.
Several commentators, unlike the drivers, have expressed their support for such measures which, if they do indeed impact the driver, also affect the team as a whole, as the driver’s performance is the visible part of their work.
This season, Daniel Ricciardo (in Malaysia), Jean-Eric Vergne (in Spain and Monaco), and Esteban Gutiérrez (in Austria) have been penalized for “unsafe release.”
