The Formula One safety car rules have been amended by the FIA to prevent the events of the 2021 title decider in Abu Dhabi from being repeated. After failing to implement the rules correctly during the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Michael Masi was fired from his position as race director in February.
FIA and Car Rule Changes
The new FIA head, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, has decided to change article 55.13. It 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.”
Originally, the rule stated that “any” car that has been overtaken by the leader must pass the cars on the lead lap and the Safety Car, rather than “all” cars.
About the Other Rules
The second modification made before the 2022 season’s opening race in Bahrain is that drivers must now remain in their overalls for the post-race party. It reads: “For the duration of the podium ceremony and post-race interview procedure, the drivers finishing the race in first, second, and third positions must remain attired only in their driving suits, ‘done up to the neck, not opened to the waist.”
This rule’s second section also applies to TV pen interviews and the FIA post-race press conference. It also adds: “For the duration of the TV pen interviews and FIA post-race press conference, all drivers must remain attired in their respective teams’ uniform only,”
Max Verstappen was penalized for contacting the back wing of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes in parc fermé during the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix, and the third rule addresses this. “Drivers must not interfere with parc fermé protocols in any way.”
Furthermore, after the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix did not contain a flying lap, the points allocations for abbreviated races have been changed. The score for the fourth place has changed from nine to ten points for races stopped between 50 and 75 percent distance, and the score for the seventh-place has changed from five to four points. Roads 19-14-12-10-8-6-4-3-2-1 are now fully allocated.
