A few years ago, when the safety car came out, the pit lane was closed - but unfortunately due to refuelling regulations, some drivers were forced to pit and take a penalty. This was unfair, and I'm glad the rule was then changed. Now that refuelling is banned during the race, drivers only need to pit to change tyres and occasionally replace bodywork. So currently when the safety car comes out, almost all the teams call their drivers in to change tyres - chaos is caused, including accidents, and more often than not some drivers lose out because they are held in their box while other driver come in to pit. It's not really fair for the drivers, and in some cases can ruin a race for us. Now I feel it's time to close the pit lane again during Safety Car period. It would get rid of the chaos, make races fairer and there is no real need to pit because drivers have the fuel in the cars already. Who agrees with me?
Interesting idea, but what if the drivers who have caused the safety car need to come into the pits for repairs? They can't stay out with broken front wings and punctures.
If a car needs repairs or has a puncture it would still be beneficial to come in to the pits and accept the penalty. An extended pit stop for repairs would be effectively free under the safety car and the resultant drive-through penalty would be quicker than a standard pit stop. Even a stop-and-go penalty would be quicker than a stop for repairs.
The pit lane may technically be closed, but that won't stop a driver pitting - if they need to pit, they do it and take a penalty. Unfortunately there's no way of making this completely fair but closing the pit lane during the safety car period would make things a lot fairer than it currently is - and safer. As far as I'm concerned, the only reason the pit lane was opened at all times was because of refuelling during the race. Now that refuelling is banned, I see no need for the pit lane to remain open.
If there's damage to a car let them pit. The stewards can investigate during the race whether it was necessary. If someone has a broken front wing let them off, if they change tyres though give them a drive through, unless they have a puncture. Also if they have a puncture they should have to change to a compound they've already used.
Not sure I agree there. If Driver A has been hit by Driver B in an accident that was entirely Driver B's fault and has to pit under the ensuing safety car, why should Driver A earn a drive through penalty for something that was completely not his fault? Further to this, say the accident happens right at the start of the lap. Driver A then has to limp around the rest of the track while everyone overtakes him. Even if they only lose a few places on their way back to the pits, an extended pit stop under the safety car could result in Driver A being overtaken by everyone else and rejoining at the back of the field. Then he gets his drive through penalty which means he can't make the most of his fresh rubber. Doesn't seem fair to me.
I basically agree with Forza on this. No Safety Car system can be completely fair to everyone, since various cars will be in a different state as well as various gaps being quite different. And although several people make good points about advantages and disadvantages which result through nothing but luck, that's all part of racing I'm afraid; in a sense, it is a roll of the dice. However, Forza's idea is an improvement on what we currently have. Therefore, I'd be all for it!
I agree, I doubt the tires will be ripped to shreds behind the safety car. If the SC is out too long though then open it. Otherwise its not needed and can also spoil team mates races who come in behind another
Well, where would you draw the line between which cars are damaged enough to come in and which aren't? When tyre changes were banned there used to be a condition that if a tyre was damaged enough that it was likely to fail then they were allowed to change it. IIRC the team would have to demonstrate that the tyre was going to fail but those arguments are so subjective I don't think they're really workable. Allowing some cars in but penalising others wouldn't work. I don't think so anyway. It may not be fair to a given car in a given situation but then F1's not 'fair' backwards, is it? As long as a rule is applied equitably to all teams and drivers that's about the best you can expect.
There'd be nothing to gain by replacing a part if it wasn't damaged. Only allow them to change tyres if they have a puncture.
Well, in terms of rulings, it certainly is true that you can please all of the people, all of the time. However, I would argue that the line drawn between cars that are/aren't damaged enough to come in has already been drawn by the stewards with black and orange flags.
That could work. A car that has been shown the black-and-orange flag is permitted to pit under the safety car without penalty. Any other car pitting while the pit lane is closed will be penalised.
The fairest system would be for a safety car to be for a minimum of 3 laps, cars can pit whenever they want during that time but the running order is fixed as it was when the SC board was put out. Effectively this will mean just about everybody pits (provided they have tyres available) and then returns to the same order, teams can pit cars sensibly and safely.
hackerjack - the point being? Clearing up gets done, well yes! But the cars damaged get bodywork fixed? So no disadvantage? Cannot be right.
If a team can demonstrate that a car had to pit to repair damage caused by the incident then I think the idea is a good one. Should there be a rule to say that tyres cannot be changed though, other than one that is punctured? Would avoid the possibility of a damaged car pitting, getting repairs and a new set of tyres which would then give it an advantage over everyone else. Is a hard one to police effectively but could work.
I don't think you can change just one tyre. It has to be the full set, or that's how I remember it from when tyre changes were banned, at least. I don't think they'd bother trying to police anything. If they close the pit lane when the safety car's deployed it'll be as straightforward as that. If they come in, they get a penalty.
