Increased Radio Restrictions - What's Allowed?

With the new radio restrictions coming into play in Melbourne, drivers may have felt more alone than ever in the car. For some – the now iconic “leave me alone, I know what I’m doing” springs to mind – this might be a welcome relief, but a lot of people, both on and off track, fear the restrictions might have gone too far.

The driver must drive the car unaided, say the sporting regulations. Well, what does that actually mean?

There are now 31 things the drivers can be told from the pit wall whilst they’re in the car. And that’s pretty much it. Those are listed below.

The FIA brought in these restrictions to make sure the drivers get as little assistance as possible from their engineers back in the garage, following the technical advances that have been brought in over the years. They say this will make the driver more in control of his own race.

Whilst almost everyone wants drivers to be drivers and not puppets for the engineers – well, maybe not the engineers who stress over what the driver needs to be doing to win the race – a lot of people think the restrictions may have gone too far, with Red Bull’s Christian Horner saying the clamp down is bad for the fans and Mercedes Toto Wolff saying it will lead to more errors.

However, Formula 1 race director Charlie Whiting told Autosport the restrictions is the only way to stop the “intolerable level” of coaching from the pit wall.

“The main point is the driver should be doing things. He should be driving the car and he should be doing the things a driver is normally expected to do.”

What can they say?

1. Indication of a critical problem with the car

2. Indication of a problem with a competitor’s car

3. Instructions as to when to pit

4. Marshaling information (flags, race start aborted, etc.)

5. Make the driver aware of wet track, oil, or debris in certain corners

6. Instructions on swapping places with other drivers (whether the driver wants to hear this or not is another matter…)

7. Acknowledgement that a driver’s message has been heard.

8. Lap or sector time information

9. Lap times of a competitor

10. Gaps to a competitor

11. “Push hard”

12. Warnings about traffic

13. Gaps between cars in qualifying to help them get into a better position for a clear lap

14. Tyre choices

15. Number of laps a competitor has done on a set of tyres

16. Tyre specification of a competitor

17. What a competitor’s likely race strategy is

18. Safety car window

19. Driving breaches by the driver or a competitor

20. Notification of DRS disabled or enabled

21. Dealing with a DRS system failure

22. Change of front wing position in the next pit stop

23. Oil transfer

24. When to enter the pits

25. Reminders to check for white lines, bollards, or weighbridge lights when entering or leaving the pits

26. Reminders about track limits

27. Passing on messages from race control

28. Information concerning damage to the car

29. Number of laps remaining

30. Test sequence information during practice sessions

31. Weather information

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Article Written By: Bethonie Waring

No copyright infringement intended

Team Radio Banned by the FIA

While things continue to change in the world of Motorsports, people continue to agree and disagree on rules and restrictions. Earlier this season the talking point revolved around the new unit usage penalties. And now? Team radio has banned. Okay, well, not completely banned but pretty much.

Team radio is used for interaction between engineers and their drivers during the F1 weekend sessions, including the race. It wasn't always that way. Drivers used to have to be a little more self-dependent on what to do to make it to the podium. Nowadays, the drivers get a little extra help from their team. This includes updates on gaps between drivers, fuel usage, tyre wear and even where they're slowest on the track. Some say it's not a big deal while others think it's almost like if you were in a competition and someone was whispering the answers to you through an ear piece.

Well, now it's been banned. But like we said before, not entirely. Let's not say 'Banned' - More like there's a lot of 'Restrictions'

So, what will be allowed? Will we hear any radio at all? Yes. According to rules and regulations, the team is still allowed to have regular pit wall-to-driver contact. That includes the usual "He's in my way" complaints. The fans like that kind of stuff. Also allowed will be messages for safety purposes and pit-stop strategy talk.

Teams will NOT be allowed to offer any useful tips or advice as far as driving and overtaking is concerned. They will no longer be allowed to share data with them or give constant updates on their performance. While this seems like it could be a bit of a problem for some, it could make F1 a little more complicated - In a good way. We'll see the drivers figure things out on their own and what better way to debut the new rule than right before the tight-cornered street circuit of Singapore?

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
No copyright infringement intended.