The FIA has released details of the F1 Russian GP track limits, changes to the circuit, DRS zones, practice starts, PU elements and more.

The track limits for F1 Russian GP will mostly be monitored at Turn 2 and Turn 18, with sausage kerbs installed Turn 2-3 for drivers to follow. The FIA Race Director has also noted about driving unnecessarily slowly at Turn 12-13.

Turn 2 –

a) Each time any car fails to negotiate Turn 2 by using the track, and who passes to the left of, or has any part of the car over the first orange kerb element prior to the apex, or to the left of the orange apex sausage at Turn 2, must then re-join the track by driving around the array of blocks as indicated by the arrows before the rejoining the track at Turn 3. See attached images 1-3 on pages 7-9 (in race note).

b) A lap time achieved during any practice session or the race by leaving the track and failing to negotiate Turn 2 by using the track, will result in that lap time being invalidated by the stewards.

Turn 18 Exit –

a) A lap time achieved during any practice session or the race by leaving the track and cutting behind the red and white painted kerb on the exit of Turn 18, will result in that lap time being invalidated by the stewards.

General – Turn 2, and Turn 18 Exit –

a) Each time any car fails to negotiate Turn 2 or Turn 18 Exit by using the track, teams will be informed via the official messaging system.

b) On the third occasion of a driver failing to negotiate Turn 2 and/or Turn 18 Exit by using the track during the race, he will be shown a black and white flag, any further cutting will then be reported to the stewards. For the avoidance of doubt this means a total of three occasions combined not three at each corner.

c) In all cases detailed above, the driver must only re-join the track when it is safe to do so and without gaining a lasting advantage.

d) The above requirements will not automatically apply to any driver who is judged to have been forced off the track, each such case will be judged individually.

Driving Unnecessarily Slowly – Turns 12 and 13 –

Any driver intending to create a gap in front of him in order to get a clear lap should not attempt to do this around Turns 12 and/or 13. Any driver seen to have done this will be reported to the stewards as being in breach of Article 27.4 of the Sporting Regulations.

Moving on from the track limits, the FIA Race Directors’ note talked of changes made to the Sochi circuit from the 2020 event, whereby resurfacing has been done at Turn 2, Turn 15 and Turn 16-17. They have also clarified the practice start rule.

Last year, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton was penalised for the practice start, as he did so at the exit of the pitlane, but further up where the white line ended rather than doing it just after the pit exit light board on the right-hand side.

Changes to the circuit –

  • The apex of Turn 2 has been resurfaced.
  • The entry through to the exit of Turn 15 has been resurfaced.
  • The right-hand side of the track half way between Turn 16 and 17 has been resurfaced.

Practice starts –

  • Practice starts may only be carried out on the right-hand side immediately after the pit exit lights and, for the avoidance of doubt, this includes any time the pit exit is open for the race. Drivers must leave adequate room on their left for another driver to pass.
  • For reasons of safety and sporting equity, cars may not stop in the fast lane at any time the pit exit is open without a justifiable reason (a practice start is not considered a justifiable reason).
  • For reasons of safety and sporting equity, at any time the pit exit is open and when practice starts are permitted to be carried out, any car who wishes to perform a practice start must form up in a line and leave in the order they got there unless another car is unduly delayed.

Looking at the DRS zones, the detection zone for the first one is 72m before Turn 18, with the activation zone 95m before Turn 1. At the same time, the second zone’s detection zone is 72m before Turn 10 and activation being 70m after Turn 10.

Also, the team of four stewards for F1 Russian GP will be led by Garry Connelly, being joined by Matthieu Remmerie, Enrique Bernoldi and George Andreev. In terms of the PU elements until the Italian GP, the FIA released details of it too.

Looking at ICE, TC and MGU-H, everyone is on their third element, with Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly on their fourth. For MGU-K, it is a mixed bag, with majority still on their second element.

The Alpine duo, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, McLaren’s Lando Norris and Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel, all are on their third element, with Bottas, Perez and Gasly are on their fourth element already.

On ES and CE side, most still are on their second element. The former has the AlphaTauri duo on their third element, while Perez is on his fourth. As for the latter, the AlphaTauri duo and Bottas are on their third, while Perez is on his fourth.

Aside the Russian GP details, the organisers of Miami GP also confirmed its 2022 date to be May 6-8 at Miami International Autodrome – the brand new street circuit being readied around the Hard Rock Stadium. Pre-sale of tickets begins on October 26 and fans can sign up for it here: f1miamigp.com/tickets/

 

Here’s FIA Race Directors’ note – includes photos of the sausage kerbs: https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/decision-document/2021%20Russian%20Grand%20Prix%20-%20Race%20Directors’%20Event%20Notes%20.pdf

Here’s list of PU elements: https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/decision-document/2021%20Russian%20Grand%20Prix%20-%20PU%20elements%20used%20per%20driver%20up%20to%20now.pdf

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