NEW RULES ON F1 RADIO COMMUNICATION

As well as the FIA restructure which has seen Formula 1 Race Director Michael Masi replaced, the FIA also announced changes that have been made in reaction to the final laps of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Late in the season deciding race Williams driver Nicolas Latifi crashed and resulted in the deployment of a safety car.

Under this safety car many radio transmissions were made by both Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff to Masi.

As a result newly-elected FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem revealed that, “direct radio communications during the race, currently broadcast live by all TVs, will be removed in order to protect the race director from any pressure and allow him to take decisions peacefully. It will still be possible to ask questions to the race director, according to a well-defined and non-intrusive process.”

Finally, to make the rules clearer than they are now, Sulayem explained that, “the unlapping procedures behind Safety Car will be reassessed by the F1 Sporting Advisory Committee and presented to the next F1 Commission prior to the start of the season,” the former rally and rally-raid driver said.

“I presented this complete plan to the members of the World Motor Sport Council and the Senate who gave their full support.”

Masi will be replaced by WEC’s Race Director Eduardo Freitas and his DTM counterpart Niels Wittich, who will rotate in the role during the 2022 Formula One World Championship, with 73-years old Herbie Blash making a return to Grand Prix racing as permanent senior advisor.

The new race management will make its debut next Wednesday at the start of the Barcelona pre-season test that will run from the 23^rd to the 25^th of this month, while the introduction of the remote race direction will be regulated in the next couple of weeks, for the FIA president’s plan to be presented and approved by the Formula One Commission in a meeting that will be held before the Bahrain Grand Prix, the inaugural race of the 2022 Formula One World Championship, scheduled for March 20^th.

For more of the latest motorsport news pick up the current issue of Auto Action.