Australian Grand Prix Reveals Last-Minute Regulation Changes After Dangerous Practice Sessions

Race directors have implemented new rules to ensure that all drivers maintain a maximum lap time to ensure safety.

This weekend we're headed to Melbourne's Albert Park circuit where Formula 1 drivers are reaching speeds of over 211mph on the straightaway. But with great speed comes great responsibility, and that's where the race directors come in as they've issued a warning to the grid.

To ensure driver safety, they have issued a ruling that drivers must maintain a maximum lap time during their setup, in-laps, and warm-up laps. The maximum lap time, set by race director Niels Wittich, is 1.35.0, ensuring that the drivers don't drive around the track too slowly, causing a potential hazard.

The FIA has yet to clarify the penalties, but it's safe to say that a driver will be handed some form of penalisation if they don't adhere to this new regulation. 

It's not just Melbourne that's concerned about hazardous driving on the track. The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix saw similar issues, so we're glad the FIA is making moves to do something about the potential dangers of traffic. 

This Australian Grand Prix is looking to be incredibly fast thanks to four DRS zones. This will favour cars like Red Bull whose DRS is incredibly potent, so we'll once again likely see a Red Bull 1-2 unless the reliability of these Milton Keynes machines slows them down.