F1 Delays Cockpit 'Thongs' To 2018, Scraps Team Radio Rules
The F1 Strategy Report – featuring FIA president Jean Todt, F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and six teams (Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren, Force India and Williams) – has voted against the introduction of cockpit protection for the 2017 season.
However, it was unanimously agreed at the meeting in Geneva that some form of improved cockpit safety will appear in Formula 1 in 2018.
The unusual-looking (thong, flip-flop, call it what you want) ‘halo’ device remains the FIA’s preferred choice but the Strategy Group said there wasn’t enough time to introduce a system for 2017.
Instead, they thought it would be better to spend more time testing options before introducing a “more complete solution” for the following season.
The FIA’s post-Strategy Group statement said tests will continue to take place during practice sessions with the halo system, which has gone through several different versions since its debut in this year.
It was met with a mixed reaction from drivers and fans. Red Bull’s ‘aeroscreen’ concept fared better but the halo remains the FIA’s favoured option.
Meanwhile F1 has done a complete U-turn on team radio restrictions. The FIA clamped down on radio communication, feeling it took away from the drivers actually operating the car.
The already hot topic has become even more prominent in the headlines in recent races after Nico Rosberg was penalised for breaching the regulations at Silverstone.
Jenson Button was then hit with a drive-through in Hungary for breaching the rules but he was critical of the FIA’s decision, feeling his car would’ve been in a dangerous situation had he not radioed McLaren for assistance.
The teams and commercial rights holder (Ecclestone) requested the FIA lifted these radio restrictions and this has been accepted, with a more liberal approach to the “driver must drive the car alone and unaided” regulation.
It’s a complete change in direction from what the FIA originally went for with the radio ban. There are still restrictions in place for the formation lap and start but teams and drivers are now able to communicate freely during the race without being slapped with a penalty.
What do you make of the decisions? Let us know in the comments below.
Comments
Hopefully this means they’ll throw out the flipflops and go for the red bull aeroscreen
2015: we’re going to introduce all this random new stuff!
2016:
Are they just going to stick a pair of boxers on for the moment?
F1 is just mostly garbage nowadays (My opinion) because of the silly restrictions, I mean why should you save fuel and tires and worry about emissions when you’re driving a racecar that is designed to go fast. Then you apply restrictions and limitations that slow down the cars and drivers, like it’s time to decide if you want to “save” the planet or actually race properly.
Let Formula E save the planet, let Formula 1 alter its spinning in the galaxy.
Not only they created crappy rules and procedures for enviromental reasons. “Safety” is another of the reasons to make some bad stuff - the example of track limits and the British GP start are for that.
And yeah, F1 is pure garbage now.
These new rules are like a laundromat run by genies:
So no riot(wind)shield ?
Meanwhile, at WEC, there is some actual racing going on:
The only thing i hate in WEC is their ‘Rolling Start’.
Everyone is slagging off F1 nowadays but in my opinion, 2016 has been the best season in recent years and with the new regs coming in next year, teams like Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren that have generally had good aero will have a much better chance as the cars will be more focused on aero rather than the power units. I’m excited for next year :D
That cockpit thing looks like crap, and if a tyre explode for an example, the rubber can still hit them in the head. So that just seems dumb