The FIA has posted some changes made to the 2022 F1 Sporting Regulations, with first revision made which directly relates to Abu Dhabi GP.
In the last update made to the FIA Sporting Regulations in February before the 2022 testing started, the governing body did not mention any revision to the rules which were brought into contentious light following the happenings in the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP.
It related to the powers of the FIA Race Director and the unlapping process behind the safety car. In a latest update made ahead of the start of the 2022 season in Bahrain, it has brought out a subtle change to the safety car rule which ends any argument.
It is a minor word change of ‘all’ from ‘any’ lapped cars that have to be unlapped before the safety car is pulled in, but one that was brought up in discussions last year by Mercedes before the discretionary step was taken by the FIA Race Director.
“If the clerk of the course considers it safe to do so, and the message “LAPPED CARS MAY NOW OVERTAKE” has been sent to all Competitors using the official messaging system, all cars that have been lapped by the leader will be required to pass the cars on the lead lap and the safety car,” stated the new ruling under Article 55.13.
“This will only apply to cars that were lapped at the time they crossed the Line at the end of the lap during which they crossed the first Safety Car line for the second time after the safety car was deployed. Having overtaken the cars on the lead lap and the safety car these cars should then proceed around the track at an appropriate speed, without overtaking, and make every effort to take up position at the back of the line of cars behind the safety car.
“Whilst they are overtaking, and in order to ensure this may be carried out safely, the cars on the lead lap must always stay on the racing line unless deviating from it is unavoidable. Unless the clerk of the course considers the presence of the safety car is still necessary, once the message “LAPPED CARS MAY NOW OVERTAKE” has been sent to all Competitors using the official messaging system, the safety car will return to the pits at the end of the following lap.”
In another rule revision, the points awarded for races that sees the leader completing 50% of laps but less than 75% of the scheduled laps, was said to follow as 19-14-12-9-8-6-5-3-2-1 format, but the revised ruling will see it as 19-14-12-10-8-6-4-3-2-1 order.
In an addition to the penalty rule, the FIA has added that if any driver has incurred a penalty of more than 15 grid places for a event, he will automatically start from the back of the starting grid. This rule, in fact, has been re-added after it was omitted from the earlier updated Sporting Regulation for 2022.
In a larger change, the FIA has done away with the drivers ‘gaining’ despite penalties incurred. Previously, the penalty was applied in the order of the driving receiving it, but the omission of ‘in the order the offences were committed’, which means the penalties will applied together leaving less chance of drivers benefiting from other’s penalties.
Regarding the FP1 runner rule which has been introduced for the 2022 F1 season allowing teams to use a rookie/youngster for two times this year, the FIA seems to have made a small tweak where they have omitted the ruling of ‘this driver may only participate in FP1’, which means that teams have the liberty to run them anytime during the event, but as per the article just above this rule, it limits them to FP1 and or FP2.
“On one (1) occasion in each car entered for the Championship during each Championship, each Competitor must use a driver who has not participated in more than two (2) Championship races in their career. Each Competitor must advise the FIA in writing seven (7) days prior to the start of the relevant Event with the details of the driver that they will use,” stated the new ruling.
More of the minor changes can be found here: https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/2022_formula_1_sporting_regulations_-_iss_5_-_2022-03-15.pdf
Here’s the last update to FIA Sporting Regs for 2022
Here’s how the FIA structure going forward
Here’s contract situation plus penalty points
Here’s latest F1 Commission ruling regarding sprint, etc
Here’s the lap count of F1 drivers/teams after both F1 2022 tests
