Sorry I didn't grab the link, I'm figuring out how to use a Mac computer. Article on line says that Ferrari is under investigation from Bahrain after they were provided a photo of a "coded" message on the Ferrari pit board. Holy crap, between dumb stuff like this and Bernie insulting the drivers every day it's ridiculous.
Good luck! I recently was given one. I can't see what all the fuss is about. I'd rather windows, to be honest.
Here's a link: Ferrari under investigation, F1 goes from racing to James Bond - Sports Rageous - Best sports news on the web So, ummm...
Here's a link to the original article in Auto Motor und Sport: Radio Fahrerlager GP Bahrain 2016 - Auto Motor und Sport The "coded message" was allegedly shown to Vettel during the Australian GP.
The pit board isn't included in the ban, so what could possibly happen? Surely, even if they decided to extend the ban on comms to include the board, they couldn't do it retrospectively?
(From: Ferrari cleared of using coded pit message - Formula 1 - Eurosport Australia ) : The Ferrari Formula 1 team has been cleared by the FIA of any wrongdoing regarding a potential coded message it displayed during the Australian Grand Prix, Autosport can reveal. This season the FIA has severely tightened up article 27.1 of the sporting regulations, which states "the driver shall drive the car alone and unaided". The ruling has led to a clampdown not only on radio transmissions between the pitwall and driver, but also on messages displayed on a pitboard. During the season-opening race at Melbourne's Albert Park, Ferrari displayed what appeared to be an obscure pitboard message to four-time champion Sebastian Vettel. The message read '-3.2 LFS6 P1'. It was spotted by a rival team and reported to FIA F1 race director Charlie Whiting, prompting an investigation. Whiting made clear during a press briefing held in Melbourne prior to the race that all messages would either be heard or seen, and anything deemed to be coded would certainly be looked into. Under normal circumstances the message would not be one the FIA would allow, but Autosport can confirm Ferrari has provided the FIA with an entirely satisfactory explanation. During the race a number of teams had problems with fuel recalculations in the wake of the 20-minute red flag stoppage following McLaren driver Fernando Alonso's violent accident on lap 17. Whiting confirmed to Autosport after the race the red flag and restart raised "a number of glitches" that needed to be solved. For Ferrari, and Vettel in particular, it led to a problem with how the SECU (standard electronics control unit) software handled the stoppage, necessitating the pitboard message at the time. The FIA therefore concluded the message was permissible and will not take any action. So it appears that the ban on communicating with the driver does also include the pit boards.
The red flag caused a technical issue with the car - Under the FIA regulations, the message was allowable so none of the other teams should have any problem with it whatsoever!
It could have been any team. It is relevant to test how responsive the FIA is to such matters and it is relevant to test with what other teams get away. It is observed that the FIA did not pick it up and had to be informed first, meaning other teams need to protect themselves and carefully track competitors signs. It makes sense to test all if that to avoid tears later on.
Any team (including Ferrari), would have queried another team putting that sort of message out on a pit board if they saw it for a couple of reasons: 1) To ensure the other team were not cheating. 2) To get clarification of what is allowed and what is not. I'm quite impressed that Vettel had time to read the message on his board as he flashed past and adjust the car accordingly TBH!
I can see it now, the pit signs will be coded certain ways: "OK Hammy, if we put "PIT IN NEXT LAP", that means "TURN THE ENGINE UP. If we say "1 SEC to P1", that means "WE'RE HAVING LAMB FOR DINNER".
According to: Ferrari cleared of using coded pit message - Formula 1 - Eurosport Australia : Whiting confirmed to Autosport after the race the red flag and restart raised "a number of glitches" that needed to be solved. For Ferrari, and Vettel in particular, it led to a problem with how the SECU (standard electronics control unit) software handled the stoppage, necessitating the pitboard message at the time. The FIA therefore concluded the message was permissible and will not take any action. So there was a system failure on Vettel's car that could have caused it to fail to finish, Ferrari had to issue the message to keep the car running and the FIA accepted that, due to exceptional circumstances, they had no choice - Why is that so hard to understand? It's funny to read how some on here seem to have a problem with the information that Ferrari passed on to Vettel - Especially in light of the fact that the people who really matter, the FIA, are totally happy that nothing untoward was going on! (Cue the boring old Ferrari International Assistance posts, and the "any other team" conspiracy posts! )
So, if communications via the pit board remain legal, What is to stop teams from dumping 30 seconds of voice communications in the fraction of a second the car zooms by the pit board into a computer which expands it back to the original length and allowing the driver to digest it when he wants around the lap?
Well, in theory, with these new rules it´s up to the driver to figure out how to fix the car. In that same race Nico Rosberg had a problem with his brakes and he had no help from the pits.
Under the communications ban rules, Mercedes could only advise Rosberg about his brakes if he was about to suffer an imminent and potentially terminal failure: (From: FIA reveals details of new driver radio ban · F1 Fanatic ) : The following is a list of the permitted messages. Any other message, including any of those below which we suspect has been used as a coded message for a different purpose (including a prompt to a driver). is likely to be considered a breach of Article 27.1 of the Sporting Regulations and will be reported to the stewards accordingly. 2. Indication of a critical problem with the car. Any message of this sort may only be used if failure of a component or system is imminent and potentially terminal. I can only assume that Rosberg's issue was deemed by Mercedes to be neither imminent or potentially terminal otherwise they could have advised him what to do about the problem. Vettel's issue was most likely covered under No.4: 4. Instructions to select driver defaults for the sole purpose of mitigating loss of function of a sensor, actuator or controller whose degradation or failure was not detected and handled by the on-board software. In accordance with Article 8.2.4, any new setting chosen in this way must not enhance the performance of the car beyond that prior to the loss of function. Ferrari probably used a loose interpretation of the rule but could prove that they were technically correct to use it and so the FIA had no issue with it.
Thank you. This clears up a lot that I never saw on NBC about the communications. Still a little odd to use pitboard instead of radio.
It could be as simple as: 3-2-LFS6-P1 being easier for the driver to understand from the pitboard than someone on the radio saying: "Three...Two...L...F...S...Six....P....One!"
I think the whole thing is BS. This sport has become rediculus with all these restrictions and rules.
