THE FIA ANNOUNCES SAFETY CAR RULE CHANGE

The FIA has tweaked a safety car rule which caused a lot of controversy in the Formula 1 season finale in Abu Dhabi last year.

Under the sporting regulations, a subtle change to the safety car regulations has been made and now means that every car lapped car will have to overtake the Safety Car before racing resumes.

The change is very subtle but could have potentially changed the outcome of the race last year, maybe not for the championship outcome, but some of the controversy following.

Article 55.13 of the sporting regulations now reads: “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.”

Only one word has changed, but it makes all the difference.

Previously, the rule read “any” rather than “all” cars that have been lapped by the leader will be required to pass the cars on the lead lap and the Safety Car.

In Abu Dhabi last year five drivers – Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon, Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel – were allowed to unlap themselves, the cars between both Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen allowing them to scrap for the title on the final lap.

The remaining three lapped cars Daniel Ricciardo, Lance Stroll, Mick Schumacher were told to hold station, not allowed to unlap themselves.

This caused outcry from fans who felt that the inconsistency was not fair stating that all cars should have been unlapped as it also stopped the likes of Carlos Sainz attacking Hamilton on the final lap.

Following the race FIA race director Michael Masi was stood down.

The alteration means that should a similar scenario happen again, all lapped cars are required to unlap themselves.

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