Where to Leave a F1 Car on Track? FIA Sets New Guidelines to Limit Safety Cars

F1 drivers get mapped zones to safely stop cars, aiming to avoid red flags and Safety Cars during sessions.

Fresh instructions for F1 teams and drivers starting from the Japanese Grand Prix.

Starting this weekend in Suzuka, Formula 1 drivers will be given new, clearer guidelines on where to safely park their car in case of a breakdown or damage during a session.

The FIA will now provide teams and drivers with a specific track map outlining designated areas where cars should be abandoned — if it’s mechanically possible — in order to reduce the need for red flags during practice and qualifying, or full Safety Car deployments during races.

FIA Tells Drivers Where Stop

These updates follow a recent rule change allowing the race director to instruct teams to retire cars that are clearly damaged. This rule came into effect just in time for the season opener.

Now, further instructions will pinpoint which side of the track a driver should aim for when pulling off. These marked zones are chosen for their proximity to access points or escape roads, making it easier for marshals to recover cars without disrupting the session.

Under the updated sporting regulations, the race director can tell a team to stop a car if it has “significant and obvious damage to a structural component” that poses a danger to the driver or others — or if the car is “unable to return to the pits without unnecessarily interfering with other competitors or the race.”

This change comes after Red Bull’s Sergio Perez was hit with a three-place grid penalty and a €25,000 fine last year for driving a damaged car back to the pits, which stewards deemed unsafe.

From now on, F1 drivers will need to be mindful of specific left or right-side zones where they can pull over safely. And yes — teams are allowed to guide drivers over the radio to help them make that call in real time.

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FIA Acts to Cut Red Flags with New Car Stop Zones
FIA Acts to Cut Red Flags with New Car Stop Zones