(from autosport) Proposed changes to Formula One's safety car regulations are to be tested in a simulation of race conditions during the French Grand Prix weekend. The teams will try the new system, which could resolve controversy over the pitlane being closed during SC periods, during Friday practice at Magny-Cours on June 21. It was hoped that it would be tested on the Thursday at Monaco, but the date was put back to allow the teams to sample the software during the test at Barcelona between the races in Canada and France. There will then be a test of the system in simulated race conditions at Magny-Cours. The delay means the new system won't be in place in time for this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix, which traditionally features multiple safety car interruptions. Last year's race at Montreal was the first to highlight the problems of closing the pitlane to prevent drivers passing the scene of the accident and then returning to the pits at full racing speed to make a stop. It was the first time drivers were forced to take 10-second stop-go penalties for pitting under the safety car to avoid running out of fuel. Formula One's Sporting Working Group and the FIA's Charlie Whiting initially favoured a system of setting minimum sector times when the safety car is deployed. The idea has been developed to use the standard ECU to monitor the cars under safety car conditions, preventing drivers from going too fast, and allowing the pit ane to stay open throughout caution periods. The system is likely to work by sending a message to each driver to inform them that the safety car is out. Each will then respond by pressing a button to acknowledge the message and switch the ECU into safety car mode. Unanimity between the teams is required for the system to be implemented, but a senior FIA source believes it could be introduced in the near future. "It's not a done deal, and we've got to see if it works first," the source told this week's Autosport. "We've agreed to try it, that's all. But if it all works well at Magny-Cours we could do something quite soon after that."
Why not just open the damned pits SC period or or not, one car in the pitlane per team to avoid stacking the stops? Controlling the car with the common ECU is just stupid. Talk about making something far more difficult than it has to be.
There is obviously a problem that needs to be fixed, but IMO this is not a logical way to solve it. I thought F1 was trying to save money too, not build stupid computer systems into the cars.
Lol, I think we're both far too logical for that job, Tony. Thanks for the nomination. I would have liked to have seen Berger in there, actually (his name was mentioned as a possible candidate).
Thank's mate, me and Luis will do it together, and he will strangle me when I let LH have another free crane ride..
