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FIA clarifies overtaking rule
ESPNF1 Staff
January 5, 2012
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Michael Schumacher often returned to the racing line after defending against Lewis Hamilton at Monza © Getty Images
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The FIA has clarified the rule governing how many moves a driver can make when defending a position.
Questions were raised following the Italian Grand Prix when Michael Schumacher appeared to make numerous moves across the track in order to prevent Lewis Hamilton from passing him, often returning to the racing line after defending. It was a previously unwritten rule that drivers are only allowed to make one move, and the FIA has now entered an article in to the sporting regulations to clarify the issue.
Article 20.3 reads: "More than one change of direction to defend a position is not permitted. Any driver moving back towards the racing line, having earlier defended his position off‐line, should leave at least one car width between his own car and the edge of the track on the approach to the corner."
Ultimately, this means that a driver can defend the inside line and then move back across to take a better line in to the following corner as long as they leave space for another car on the outside.
A new rule inserted prevents drivers from cutting out parts of the circuit "without justifiable reason" in order to avoid a repeat of Sebastian Vettel's short cut back to the pits in Korea.
Other changes see lapped cars now being allowed to unlap themselves behind the safety car, with article 40.12 permitting this whenever it is safe to do so.
"If the clerk of the course considers it safe to do so, and the message "LAPPED CARS MAY NOW OVERTAKE" is shown on the timing monitors, any cars that have been lapped by the leader will be required to pass the cars on the lead lap and the safety car. 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 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.
"If the clerk of the course considers track conditions are unsuitable for overtaking the message "OVERTAKING WILL NOT BE PERMITTED" will be shown on the timing monitors."
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ESPN Staff
go and get a grip vegeta power italian gp 2011 was boring with out the hamilton schumacher battle! f1 is going to get very boring with out battles at the moment its geting out of hand the drive throughs ect end of day its just becouse fia want the drs to do all the overtaking and then they have solved all the overtaking problems off the past!!
Posted byDear Vegeta.... and when your done, he will still be a 7 times world champ, still own every major record in the book and still be that thorn in your side...lol. did you watch the race of champions? Every leading race driver in world will tell you that if MS had a winning car he would be challenging for race wins. Rosberg is a future world champ I have no doubt, if you followed F1 you would know that Rosberg is the no 1 driver in the team, MS joined the team knowing that, the result is Rosburg gets all the new parts first, the new engine mappings etc. Michael never makes it easy for anyone to overtake, considering that the difference in 10 points at the end of a season in the constructors title means millions of dollors from the FIA, would you want a driver that just pulls over and gives up places? Love him or hate him he is part of F1 history and that will remain long after you and I are gone...
Posted by"It was a previously unwritten rule that drivers are only allowed to make one move, and the FIA has now entered an article in to the sporting regulations to clarify the issue." - which means MS didn't have any breach of offense in 2011. The same move could be penalized by a drive-through penalty in 2012. Don't get presumptuous when making comments. The "unlapping" scenario is pretty tricky - unless I didn't understand it correctly. The purpose of the safety car is to slow down cars and guide them along the track during hazardous track conditions. So how can previously lapped cars overtake the safety car? The lead drivers will swerve from the racing line to put heat into the tires during the safety car period. How can it be safe to overtake them during the safety car period?
Posted by.......And Article 20.4 of said new rules says "The above new rule - Article 20.3 - does not, and will not apply - at any time - to Herr Shoemaker" ;-)
Posted byCome everybody..this is what we called racing. A driver can't simply let other driver to overtake himself because it will make the race so boring. I'm sure that the crowd wanna watch racing rather than driving exhibition.. If u wanna be a true champion then u have to be brave to take all risks on each overtaking maneuvers.
Posted byWhen is F1 going to get back to basics. They are running all the interesting things out of the sport. Pretty soon it'll be everyone in one line and you aren't allowed to pass because we don't want anyone to get hurt. I miss the F1 of the mid-90's when I was introduced to it. Bernie needs to go away.
Posted byWho is going to hold the ruler? Another judgement call that will never be used except when a back marker is involved.
Posted byIt seams a shame to remove the art of racing from F1. I understand that it would increase over taking, but at the same time removing the art of over taking. So much has been done to the cars over years to increase the amount of over taking when this rule, "just let the person behind you through", rule could have save the teams millions. John
Posted byIt should be made clearer by painting on the track a thin line on the approach to the corner. 2 meter space on the outside. so that we don't see any comments...
Posted bywow, are you on your period Vegeta Power? Leave Schumacher be, and let him have fun racing. How many World Championships have you won? yeah, go cry somewhere else.