F1 News: FIA Makes Last Minute Change Ahead Of Monaco Grand Prix

The FIA has announced the implementation of new, more rigid speed restrictions under Safety Car or Virtual Safety Car conditions in areas where double yellow flags are waved. The change comes as a part of efforts to enhance safety during on-track incidents.

The FIA is enacting more stringent speed restrictions during instances of Safety Car or Virtual Safety Car, specifically in areas where double yellow flags are being waved. This new directive is a safety enhancement, resulting from careful research, reviews of past incidents, and discussions with Formula 1 teams and drivers.

According to the FIA International Sporting Code, double yellow flags indicate a "hazard wholly or partly blocking the track and/or marshals working on or beside the track." Traditionally, drivers, upon seeing these flags, were expected to "reduce your speed significantly, do not overtake, and be prepared to change direction or stop."

Starting from the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix, these requirements are going to be clearer and more enforceable. Drivers will now have to adhere to a specified maximum speed limit in areas where double yellow flags are displayed.

FIA Technical Director, Tim Goss, who is leading this project, stated: 

"What we want to do is to provide drivers with a tool to help them during incidents and to make races even safer."

To help drivers manage their speed, FIA will now employ the concept of "delta time" when double yellow flags are shown under a Virtual Safety Car or Safety Car, meaning that a reference speed limit will be set in the area where those flags are displayed.

FIA Head of F1 Electronics, Olivier Hulot, further clarified: 

"Under a Virtual Safety Car, when a driver enters the double yellow, what he sees on the dashboard is zero, so the delta time resets, and he then has to drive below the new speed limit."

However, to ensure this new system doesn't come as a surprise to drivers, they will be notified of double yellow flag zones through their dashboard display and radio tones. This way, they will be prepared to adjust their speed accordingly.

While it's recognised that there might be occasional performance loss when a car has to slow down under double yellow flags, the focus for the FIA remains squarely on safety. As Olivier Hulot emphasised, "for the FIA safety is paramount and when there is a hazard on the track or marshals on track then we have to minimise the risks no matter what."