The FIA has added a brand new circuit map from the Japanese Grand Prix onwards in a bid to cut back the necessity for security automobile interventions after Method 1 drivers have to abandon their automobiles on monitor, Motorsport.com has discovered.
After conducting an intensive evaluation of security automobile deployments through the 2024 season, the FIA concluded there have been a stunning quantity of situations the place a security automobile might be averted by stopping the automobile in a location the place it may be recovered with out sending a car on monitor. In these instances, a security automobile was despatched out on monitor when, in hindsight, yellow flags or a Digital Security Automobile would have sufficed.
In a bid to unravel this concern, the FIA has added a brand new circuit map to its occasion notes, that are distributed to all F1 groups earlier than the beginning of every race weekend. This new map was first utilized in China and has now been added to the official paperwork at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.
The FIA was already informing groups through the drivers’ briefing about one of the best locations to cease their automobiles in case of a much less important concern – for instance, when a technical downside is suspected.
FIA Suzuka monitor map
Picture by: FIA
The principle motive for speaking this data is to spotlight the areas the place restoration might be dealt with shortly, so the session can resume as shortly as potential and likewise permits groups to have a automobile again at their storage sooner, which is vital notably throughout follow classes.
Alongside the monitor, places with gaps broad sufficient for a automobile to be pushed via are additionally marked with fluorescent orange paint on the limitations.
Along with displaying whether or not a automobile must be stopped on the left-hand or right-hand aspect of the monitor within the occasion of a difficulty, the map additionally options exclamation mark indicators to point the optimum stopping spots. These are places the place there’s a giant sufficient hole within the barrier and ample marshals to permit for a fast restoration – doubtlessly eliminating the necessity for a security automobile.
There may be additionally plans to combine this data into the software program utilized by groups on the pitwall. Motorsport.com understands the required software program updates might be carried out throughout the subsequent few races.
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