The FIA has adjusted the guidelines for the stewards for the upcoming F1 season. Based on the changes, these guidelines appear to be becoming more flexible, with more room for interpretation by the stewards. The adjustments follow ongoing criticism from the paddock, where teams and drivers felt that the guidelines were too often applied as absolute rules instead of as a tool for making a well-considered decision.
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The FIA recognizes that some situations are more complex than the guidelines suggested until now. For example, a lock-up of the wheels no longer automatically means that a driver has lost control. According to the adjusted rules, this could also be related to the ‘laws of nature’ or simply an attempt to avoid a collision. It is also recognized that a driver cannot simply disappear during an attack in a corner when two cars are driving side-by-side. Such situations often led to controversial collisions or crashes in the past.
Penalty points system relaxed
In addition, the penalty points system has been refined. From now on, penalty points will only be issued for ‘dangerous, reckless or intentional actions that lead to a collision’, or ‘for other unacceptable or unsporting behavior’. The FIA wants to prevent drivers from receiving penalty points on their license for relatively minor incidents.
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New guidelines also apply to defending drivers when they go off track during a duel. The adjusted rules now state: “If a car, while defending a position, leaves the track or cuts a section and returns in the same position, the stewards will generally assume that it has gained a lasting advantage. Therefore, the position should generally be given up. It is solely up to the stewards to determine whether the driver of a car is ‘defending a position.’”
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