On the eve of this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix, the penultimate spherical of the 2024 FIA Formulation One World Championship season, a gathering hosted by FIA Formulation 1 Stewards supplied a discussion board for constructive dialogue on the longer term evolution of driving pointers and stewarding on this planet’s premier racing collection
Chairman of the FIA Stewards in Formulation 1, Garry Connelly, hosted the assembly which, aside from the crew of FIA Stewards, gathered Formulation 1 drivers and groups’ representatives in addition to illustration of the FIA’s Race Management, together with Race Director Rui Marques.
The aim of the assembly was to additional outline the rights and tasks of the driving force who performs an overtake and the driving force being overtaken, thus encourage wheel-to-wheel racing in a secure and managed method and in addition to to advance consistency of Stewards’ selections.
“The assembly was the best one we have [ever] attended,” Connelly admitted. “The drivers had been implausible with their enter. Very constructive. There was not one destructive remark. There was no finger-pointing. It was very inspiring to see the world’s finest drivers, speaking clearly and talking constructively on how we are able to enhance the Driving Requirements Pointers to the advantage of the drivers and to make all of our jobs simpler.
“As Stewards, we’re not right here to inflict ache on drivers. We’re right here to offer a degree taking part in discipline. It isn’t us in opposition to the drivers, it is the drivers in opposition to the drivers and we’re right here to ensure everybody will get a good go.
“We have now an open-door coverage. The door to the Stewards’ room is at all times open to any driver who desires to return up and speak to us a couple of determination that is been taken both in relation to them or in relation to some other driver. We predict Thursday’s assembly emphasised that open-door coverage.
“The Driving Requirements Pointers are a residing doc, so yearly, because the F1 Stewards we attempt to meet with the drivers, sporting administrators and FIA representatives, to see if we have to tweak the rules to make use of the expertise of the final 12 months and see what enhancements we are able to make to make sure consistency. The aim of the rules is consistency.”
“As Stewards, if drivers and groups and the FIA agree that they need guidelines or pointers to permit extra aggressive driving, we’ll apply these guidelines or pointers. Likewise, if they need stricter driving requirements, we’ll apply these,” he concluded.
FIA’s Single-Seater Sporting Director Tim Malyon was very a lot aligned with Connelly’s notion of the assembly.
“We’ll at all times try to facilitate such conferences, as a result of gaining the suggestions, the perception of the drivers, is extraordinarily necessary in permitting us to evolve the rules in the fitting path,” Malyon summarised the assembly throughout which a number of case research had been damaged down, significantly overtakes from this 12 months’s United States Grand Prix.
“We have had some very constructive driver conferences at the previous few races, and this was a selected assembly set as much as present the house for that dialogue to proceed, in order that we are able to have the open trade that we want with the drivers so as to have the ability to evolve the rules for subsequent 12 months,” stated Malyon.
“We usually maintain a gathering like that at the very least annually, generally twice a 12 months, relying on the subjects that come up. This 12 months we have timed this assembly following the constructive discussions in Mexico and Austin.”
The previous FIA Security Director additionally spoke concerning the function the circuits themselves, particularly the run-off areas, play with regards to the drivers’ method to wheel-to-wheel motion.
“Because the FIA, we work repeatedly with circuits to evolve in some ways. Clearly, we’re engaged on the security facet of circuits. However what that assembly highlighted is that there are a variety of concerns on the sporting aspect, which we are able to prioritise for circuits going ahead,” he defined.
“As we have now finished this 12 months, we launched the gravel traps, beginning in Austria, and clearly, with this weekend being maybe the obvious with gravel traps added in a in numerous locations. We proceed to work with circuits on all subjects, nevertheless it was very helpful in yesterday’s assembly to get the perception of the drivers and see how they prioritize the gravel monitor idea, not just for monitor limits, but additionally for managing a few of the conditions which have arisen with overtaking throughout the course of the final 4 or 5 races. In all, there was a dedication to work collectively to search out options that work for everybody,” Malyon concluded.
Adjustments to the run-off areas launched this 12 months embody roughly 2.5m huge gravel traps that had been added to Turns 9 and 10 of the Crimson Bull Ring in addition to a number of information ones round Lusail Worldwide Circuit, which hosts this weekend’s GP.
FIA Excessive Efficiency Programme elementary to race officers’ growth
Connelly additionally addressed the significance of the FIA Excessive Efficiency Programme, which offers tailor-made coaching and mentorship for the game’s finest stewards and race administrators as a way to make them able to carry out roles at FIA World Championship degree occasions.
“The HPP is an initiative of our President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem. A kind of is right here with us at present, Caroline Tuta Mionki, a woman from Kenya. Our HPP programme is designed to fast-track proficient younger individuals via the system, practice them and get them into FIA championships as Stewards as quickly as they’re totally certified,” he defined.
The FIA HPP has 23 contributors representing 16 completely different FIA Member Golf equipment from six areas. As well as, the FIA’s Regional Stewards Coaching Programme gathered 195 distinctive contributors, with the common age being 37.5 and with 42% feminine participation.
