Rubens Barrichello, Michael Schumacher, Hungaroring, 2010
F1 race stewards have been given the power to exclude drivers from race results and suspend them from forthcoming races for improper driving under the 2011 sporting regulations published today by the FIA.
The new rules set down how drivers may defend their position and forbid "deliberate crowding of a car beyond the edge of the track".
Among other changes the 107% rule has been reinstated and the ban on team orders dropped.
The list of penalties available to the stewards has been revised as follows:
a) A drive-through penalty. The driver must enter the pit lane and re-join the race without stopping.
b) A ten second time penalty. The driver must enter the pit lane, stop at his pit for at least ten seconds
and then re-join the race.
c) A time penalty.
d) A drop of any number of grid positions at the driver's next Event.
e) A reprimand.
f) Exclusion from the results.
g) Suspension from the driver's next Event.
2011 FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations
The rules on driving have been expanded to include the following new clauses:
20.2 Manoeuvres liable to hinder other drivers, such as more than one change of direction to defend a position, deliberate crowding of a car beyond the edge of the track or any other abnormal change of direction, are not permitted.
20.3 Drivers must use the track at all times. For the avoidance of doubt the white lines defining the track edges are considered to be part of the track but the kerbs are not.
A driver will be judged to have left the track if no part of the car remains in contact with the track.
Should a car leave the track for any reason the driver may rejoin. However, this may only be done when it is safe to do so and without gaining any advantage.
20.4 As soon as a car is caught by another car which is about to lap it during the race the driver must allow the faster driver past at the first available opportunity. If the driver who has been caught does not allow the faster driver past, waved blue flags will be shown to indicate that he must allow the following driver to overtake.
Any driver who is deemed to be ignoring the waved blue flags will be reported to the stewards of the meeting.
2011 FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations
The return of the '107% rule' is described in article 36.3:
36.3 During Q1, any driver whose best qualifying lap exceeds 107% of the fastest time set during that session will not be allowed to take part in the race. Under exceptional circumstances however, which may include setting a suitable lap time in a free practice session, the stewards may permit the car to start the race.
Should there be more than one driver accepted in this manner, the grid order will be determined by the stewards. In either case, a competitor will not be able to appeal against the stewards decision.
2011 FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations
Article 39.1 has been revised and no longer includes the rule "Team orders which interfere with a race result are prohibited".
The 'fast lane' of the pits is now limited at a maximum of 3.5 metres wide. A new rule has been added preventing drivers from 'cutting in line' when queueing to leave the pits:
Any car(s) driven to the end of the pit lane prior to the start or re-start of a practice session, or any car(s) required to stop at the pit exit during a safety car period, must form up in a line in the fast lane and leave in the order they got there unless another car is unduly delayed.
2011 FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations
Article 23.2 now gives the race director the power to close the pit lane:
Under exceptional circumstances the race director may ask for the pit entry to be closed during the race for safety reasons. At such times drivers may only enter the pit lane in order for essential and entirely evident repairs to be carried out to the car.
2011 FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations
A further new rule explains what happens should a driver fail to use both sets of dry-weather tyres as required by the rules:
If the race is suspended and cannot be re-started, thirty seconds will be added to the elapsed time of any driver who was unable to use both specifications of dry-weather tyre during the race. However, any driver who completes the race without using both specifications of dry-weather tyre will be excluded from the race results.
2011 FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations
Under article 28.6, gearboxes must now last for five races. However, clause (f) allows them to use a replacement gearbox without penalty the first time they need to, for this season only, except in the final race of the season.
Drivers will be given a maximum time to return to the pits at the end of qualifying and during reconnaissance laps before the start of the race. According to article 30.13 this will normally be 145% of the best time set in first or second practice.
Another new rule (article 30.19) limits how late the mechanics can work on the teams' cars on Thursday and Friday nights during a race weekend:
No team personnel who are associated in any way with the operation of the cars are permitted within the confines of the circuit during two six hour periods which commence ten hours before the scheduled start times of P1 and P3. However, each team will be permitted four individual exceptions to the above during a Championship season.
2011 FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations
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