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The FIA’s controversial clampdown on the use of team radio has been delayed until 2015, although any information issued to directly help driver performance remains outlawed.
Formula 1’s governing body had planned to implement new guidelines regarding the use of team radios and pit boards at this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.
The new rules included a ban on instructions detailing specific performance enhancement adjustments to be made to the cars.
However, the FIA, who introduced the new rules in a bid to make drivers work harder, has been forced to backtrack on its proposal, after teams expressed technical and safety concerns over the new regulations.
As a result, the FIA will now introduce the new radio rules for the 2015 season allowing teams to sufficiently prepare for the change and embrace the complex procedures relating to the 2014 specification cars.
Despite the U-turn, the FIA has reiterated that any information issued over the radio to directly improve driver performance will be reported to the stewards.
“It seems to us that information being passed to the driver concerning the performance of his car should be separated from information concerning his own performance,” read a statement from the FIA.
“It has become clear that the former is a very complex matter and that any list of restrictions imposed at short notice will have a significantly different effect from team-to-team.
“The latter information on the other hand can be considered simple driver coaching.
“With this in mind we propose to postpone enforcement of the information being passed to driver concerning the performance of his car until 2015.
“We believe this will give sufficient time for teams to prepare properly and, more importantly, to ensure that the regulations are being enforced fairly and equitably.
“On the other hand, information being passed to the driver concerning his own performance will be stopped with immediate effect.”
The FIA has issued teams with the following list of messages delivered via radio or pitboard which will be banned from this weekend;
Outlawed radio messages
| Driving lines on the circuit |
| Contact with kerbs |
| Car set up parameters for specific corners |
| Comparative or absolute sector time detail of another driver |
| Speeds in corners compared to another driver |
| Gear selection compared with another driver |
| Gear selection in general |
| Braking points |
| Rate of braking compared to another driver |
| Rate of braking or application of brakes in general |
| Car stability under braking. |
| Throttle application in general |
| Throttle application compared to another driver |
| Use of DRS compared with another driver |
| Use of any overtake button |
FIA race director Charlie Whiting confirmed that the decision to delay the full clampdown was taken because the rule change would hinder some teams more than others.
“It became clear that some teams would be at a serious disadvantage compared to others – not just in their knowhow or ability to react in the short term, but also with hardware choices that were made a year ago.
“Two types of dashboard were available to the teams, and one can show a great deal more than the other.
“So in the interest of fairness we felt it would be better to introduce it in two stages and that is what we have done now.”
For more information on the ban which will now be introduced in 2015, read Speedcafe.com’s Singapore Grand Prix guide.
