The FIA has released further details of its plans to restrict pit-to-driver communication, which will come into effect at the opening race of the 2016 season.
It comes as part of a clampdown on Article 20.1 of the Sporting Regulations which states that “the driver shall drive the car alone and unaided”.
A list of 31 permitted messages has been released, with anything else considered a breach of the regulations:
– Indication of a critical problem with the car, e.g. puncture warning or damage
– Indication of a problem with a competitor’s car
– Instruction to enter the pit lane in order to fix or retire the car
– Marshalling information (yellow/red flag, start aborted or similar instruction from race control)
– Wet track, oil or debris in certain corners
– Instructions to swap position with other drivers
– Acknowledgement that a driver message has been heard
– Lap or sector time detail
– Lap time detail of a competitor
– Gaps to a competitor during a practice session or race
– “Push hard”, “push now”, “you will be racing xx” or similar
– Helping with warning of traffic during a practice session or race
– Giving the gaps between cars in qualifying so as to better position the car
– Tyre choice at the next pit stop
– Number of laps a competitor has done on a set of tyres during a race
– Tyre specification of a competitor
– Information concerning a competitor’s likely race strategy
– Safety Car window
– Driving breaches by driver or competitor, e.g. missing chicanes, track limits, penalty etc
– Notification that DRS is enabled or disabled
– Dealing with a DRS system failure
– Change of front wing position at the next pit stop
– Oil transfer
– When to enter the pits
– Reminders to check for white lines, bollards, weighbridge lights when entering or leaving the pits
– Reminders about track limits
– Passing on messages from race control
– Information concerning damage to the car
– Number of laps remaining
– Test sequence information during practice sessions, e.g. aero-mapping
– Weather information
