FIA to restrict team radio messages from next race

2014 F1 season

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The FIA will impose tighter restrictions on what teams may tell their drivers via radio transmissions from the next round of the championship.

Teams have been told that no radio conversation from pit to driver may include any information that is related to the performance of the car or driver.

According to the FIA this will be imposed through a strict enforcement of Article 20.1 of the Sporting Regulations, which states: “The driver must drive the car alone and unaided.”

Concerns have been raised about the extend to which drivers are given information on how to adjust their driving style during races. For example during Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix both Mercedes drivers were informed how the other was tackling Parabolica and how to alter their approach.

The standard range of penalties are available for the stewards if any team falls foul of the tougher stance the FIA is taking.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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163 comments on “FIA to restrict team radio messages from next race”

  1. Liam McShane (@)
    11th September 2014, 14:13

    I can see this being really hard to govern.

    1. The Blade Runner (@)
      11th September 2014, 14:37

      I agree but that doesn’t mean it’s not the right decision.

      If you look at the battle between Lewis and Nico as an example, team radio is clearly aiding whichever of the two is putting in the slower lap times.

      Post practice/qualifying/race feedback is fine but, when on track, it should be down to the driver to show what he (or she, Suzie) is made of.

      I expect some strange words to creep into radio messages over the next few races as teams try desperately to help their driver without being found out! e.g. “OK Nico, you asked for beans with three slices of toast for dinner. I suggest 10% more beans with your three slices of toast…”

      1. I just laughed right out loud at my desk!

        “10% more beans” should go on a t-shirt

      2. LMAO! That would be FANTASTIC!

      3. Hahaha! That was hilaarious , blade! Really funny!

      4. It won’t happen, no coded messages will be aloud at all, so if they throw in a Multi-26 message it will instantly be picked up.

        I like it, the drivers are aided WAY too much, people like Lewis is always asking his engineer “Tell me guys what do I have to do”. I want bare knuckle racing between drivers, isn’t this why we have free practice for the engineers to get the car right? Now its race day, let them race! no more hearing “Let your team mate past” any more and “Use Kers on the straight to defend” about time and thank you!!!!!

    2. Indeed. Hard to find a clear divide between “performance related” and other messages really. Not a fan of this, as I have been enjoying the wealth of messages that help understand what everyone is doing.

    3. @motor_mad so do I. Coded messages will return. “Nico, the fire department is ready to go” aka “brake temperature too high”

      I think start procedures should be known by the driver, so I don’t mind those radio messages not happening from now on. And other stuff, drivers should just get on with it and work it out themselves.

      But I just wonder why the rush on changing this?

      Also, we’re very concerned about double points, yet such change will never happen…. why?

      1. Haha thats too obvious though (fire-break temp)

        “Ok, so on the next moon the cake is inside the dragon, Nico” – meaning Lewis takes turn 7 in 3rd gear.

        On Double Points I have to admit that I don’t know how I feel about it.

        On the one hand does add excitement. Its ridiculously unfair, but having voth Merc drivers and possibly RIC still in the fighy come Abu Dhabi will make me watch the GP for sure, even if I have to cancell other plans for it.

        On the other hand, I could think of a bunch of other stuff that would be exciting too and totally unfair, like Mario- kart style weapons and what not, that I wouldn’t want either. It kinda makes the sport a joke so I’d be happy if they do away with it.

      2. @fer-no65 that’s really been the annoying thing this whole season: changes, changes, changes and NONE of them are what people have been asking for. DRS and double points still seem widely unpopular yet the FIA seem interested in changing everything BUT those to “help the show” or “please the fans.” I’m curious what fans they’re in contact with. They’re not the ones I talk to, that’s for sure.

      3. The rush for doing this is because the “Team Radio Messages” are so annoying first and drivers should be able to work things out for themselves if there is a problem because all the telemetry of the cars is already known by the teams and if there is some thing that has to be done then the driver and engineers should do it without transmitting it on the radio. How many time we have had drivers complain about one aspect of their problems when the team has already known about such problem and they transmit that “that we know about it and we are doing something to rectify it”. For me I find it very annoying to listen to these conversation especially when the telecasting channels e.g. Sky mostly transmit either Hamilton’s radio or Rosberg’s radio throughout the race. I think that should be a limit of 3 transmissions to the driver throughout the race so that it makes it fair and equals ths transmissions out to every team.

        1. The broadcaster doesn’t control the radio messages which are broadcast – FOM does.

    4. @motor_mad I don’t really think is that hard, there’s already people listening to team conversations all the time, in this case if someone catches a “performance related” message he can pass it on to the stewards in seconds and they take it from there.
      But I expect most drivers and engineers will play along and simply do all the driving recommendations off track now instead of waiting when they’re in the car.

      By the way the rule that the driver must “drive alone and unaided” is a bit confusing, so if a driver runs out of fuel and then another pushes him along it doesn’t count but if he jumps put of the car and pushes it himself its fine?

    5. I agree.

      Pick up the hammer earlier after the 7th strike.

      There you go. Go court with it…

    6. Surely there are other ways to communicate the same info…

      For example, see Italian GP team radio transcription:
      Lap 19, Tony Ross to Nico Rosberg…

      Drivers use a switch to report the state of their tyres to the team without giving that potentially valuable information over the radios.
      “And let us know how the tyres are on the HPP switch.”

      Yes, its less intuative, but could provide most key info, making a mockery of the rule.
      Downside is this would be more dangerous, as time spent looking at the wheel is time not focussing on the track.

      1. There’s no data going in the other direction. It doesn’t sound like this will affect the drivers reporting anything about their cars to the pits, either via radio or with other switches. It’s the advice going the other way they’re going to “try” to limit.

      2. I may be wrong, but surely this isn’t meant to cover tyre info, just things like how fast or on what line to approach a corner. Tyre and fuel strategy are an important part of the race and hearing those discussions is part of the entertainment. Not to mention the safety issues involving tyre wear (oops.. did mention it didn;t I?)

    7. Yes, if they wanted an instant rule change they should have allowed six wheels at the next race. That would be easier to police.

    8. @motor_mad I think the idea is not to ban such messages but to keep it under the radar, they will be redirected via the current electronic system with the new display. In the end people have expressed some disenchantment about these mundane messages, they belittle F1 even though this open communications were perhaps what the fans wanted to know a while back. I like to see reality clear and in front of me but the FOM was probably done with all those messages.
      Sometimes keeping things secret is more fun especially when you are struggling to keep the “1” in Formula 1.

    9. I just want to observe the pit stops now, see if there are any coded gestures when pitting.

  2. Limiting driver management from pitwall is a good thing. More decisions over driving in the hands of drivers is a good thing. Teams will find ways to circumvent it, but they’ll be more limited now. This is a good thing. Let the drivers drive it out on the track.

    1. My thoughts exactly !

  3. Pointless. The car will be allowed to report car and driver behavior, so the data will simply be reported by the car itself instead.

    1. But the issue is teams instructing (coaching) the drivers, not the other way round.

      1. In the future the cars themselves will be doing that. Not “other way around” about it. The cars can also indicate brake temperature problems, “strat x” availability and such.

  4. The rules should be much clearer. What is included here? “Rain is coming soon, relax so we can put on wet tires when it starts”, “brakes are getting hot”, “your fuel won’t last if you keep this up”

    1. I think they’re more concerned with specific information on how to tackle certain parts of the track than ‘take it easy’ or ‘push now’. But you’re right, they need to be clearer.

      Does ‘stay of the kerb at the exit of turn 13’ count if said curve is believed to be causing punctures?

    2. If rain is coming then the pitwall will call, pit this lap for X tyres.

      Fuel won’t last? Then put a fuel gage in the car!

  5. Well that’s Hamilton buggered!

    1. I don’t remember Lewis ever leading a race and asking what mode the second place car is using like Nico did in Canada.

      Also Lewis has repeatedly managed his own situations ignoring advice from his team: he called the decision to do a few more laps on older tyres which allowed him to stay ahead of Nico in Hungary, he ignored team orders in Hungary and he ignored the request to save the tyres for later in Monza. And those are just in the last three grands prix.

      1. You’ve never heard Hamilton getting advice on the radio about his driving? Clearly you never watched ANY race he’s been in then. I would say we hear Hamilton getting and asking for lap info more than any other driver. Which sectors/turns he’s losing time in etc. I’ve also heard him ask about Rosberg more than I’ve heard Rosberg ask about him.

        1. Clearly you’re not paying attention.

        2. Nick,
          You’re hearing what you WANT to hear, not an objective view of what is going on and it certainly doesn’t match what everyone else is hearing.
          All the drivers ask for these same types of things.

          1. Moreover: at best, anyone can only hear what FOM have decided we should hear.

          2. Last year in Canada Hamilton went from “Just leave me drive!” to “Come on man, talk to me” in just a few laps.

        3. “I would say we hear Hamilton getting and asking for lap info more than any other driver.”

          Yes, thanks to FOM, not because Lewis is actually talking more.

        4. Lewis may have asked for advice on occasion, just like any of the other drivers; however he is far from being the abuser of feedback that some of the more offending drivers are.

      2. @kodongo

        I don’t remember Lewis ever leading a race and asking what mode the second place car is using like Nico did in Canada.

        He did in Bahrain.

        1. You mean the race where Rosberg was using engine modes that the drivers had agreed not to use?

          1. That was not the point.

          2. Why not? Might explain Hamilton’s query. Though I’ve absolutely no idea about when Rosberg supposedly changed setting, what exactly had been agreed, and if Hamilton’s request for information on Rosberg’s engine mode during that part of the race is related to it. However it would seem very possible.

      3. He always is asking for advice from his race engineer. Always asking what tyres are x on, what splits is x doing, what do I need to do to go faster… all the time. Unlike Kimi or Alonso who just races!

    2. Actually I was thinking that’s probably Rosberg buggered.

      1. I think one thing we can all agree on is that this is definitely going to be either totally fantastic or utterly calamitous for Hamilton. And/or Rosberg.

    3. More like the other way round champ

  6. Why exactly do they need to rush this in all of a sudden? Haven’t they realized that this is F1? If there is a risk of a soap opera, then we are certainly going to have it. I suspect this might be another chance of just that. Couldn’t they wait for the winter to do this?

  7. I’d have preferred a ban on drivers complaining about other drivers, to be honest.

    It just seems a little odd to me that engineers will literally have information on their lap – information that could improve their drivers race, but they’ll have to bite their tongue and not pass it on. However, much like the team orders ban, I’d suspect that teams will find a way to pass this information on.

    1. As Nick said about another aspect: Well that’s Hamilton buggered!

      What next, steering wheels must be wheels, cannot display information, etc. Headphones may not emit beeps in response to engine performance levels.

  8. I don’t have a problem with this but I do have questions…”Concerns have been raised…” by who I wonder….just curious. Also, couldn’t one argue that any radio comm helps the driver? How do they segregate a radio comm that isn’t related to driver or car performance? Even the mere timing of a pit stop can be related to car performance, no? Also, if the Sporting Regulation is about drivers driving alone and unaided how has radio comm and telemetry been allowed to get as far as it has, and what is with DRS then?

  9. Teams have been told that no radio conversation from pit to driver may include any information that is related to the performance of the car or driver.

    Wait so if someone is loosing their brakes (something related to the performance of the car), the team aren’t allowed to inform the driver? Seems a little risky or have I misread the whole situation?

    1. Yes you misread the whole situation.

      Preventing danger is totally different from improving performance obviously.

      It’s not that hard to referee those kind of messages imho. It’s the coded ones like multi-21 etc that are impossible to decipher.

    2. My thoughts exactly. The whole point of all comms – indeed everything an F1 team does – is surely “performance-related”. They don’t use the radio and telemetry for fun.

      I guess however the rule is eventually defined, there will be an exception for safety messages. But what about things like excessive fuel consumption?

      1. A fuel gage? lol

  10. So a driver can be handed a sheet of telemetry in the garage with data overlay but an engineer cannot say what that overlay says over the radio in real time? Is altering driver styles and finding alternative lines/throttle or brake positions so to close up to a rival no longer skillful because an engineer is reading out what will be immediately apparent to a driver the second they return to the garage? Do we not want all the drivers performing at their optimum so we can have close racing? Why is natural speed better than laptime that has been worked for? How on earth will this be governed?

    Please F1, your year of regulation folly is surely nearly up?

  11. Say something fails on the car and the driver doesn’t know what it is or doesn’t feel it. The team can’t inform him of this problem, because it is something related to the performance of the car. What if it is a problem that can be solved by the driver using the switches on his steering wheel? If the problem has the potential to be terminal, the team (which will loose a lot of points if that happens) just has to sit by and accept that?

    Can somebody explain to me if my line of thought is right or wrong here.

    1. I think these information they can provide. But “Racer X is doing parabolica 0.2s faster” or “team mate faster at sector Y” not.

  12. To me, this is just a ‘fix’ to a problem that never really existed much like standing restarts and FRIC suspension.

    1. …and double points.

  13. It definitely means no more “Fernando is faster than you!” eh?…just kidding…:)

  14. Paul Findsen (@)
    11th September 2014, 15:04

    Bets on how long it takes them to hire Navaho Code Talkers?

    1. Why hire code talkers when the car itself can inform the driver about brake temperatures, laptimes, gaps to driver or whatever is communicated now over the radio to help the driver.

  15. Thomas Christensen
    11th September 2014, 15:05

    This is just one knee-jerk reaction in a line of many. It seems that the defining characteristic of Formula 1 today is a bunch of half-thought-out solutions to (sometimes non-existing) problems. On what ground is this restriction being imposed? That the cars should be more difficult to drive? Better show? Better radio messages on TV?

    Regardless of whether it’s a problem, the fact that drivers are instructed on how to adjust their driving or the car throughout the race is hardly a new situation. It’s been going on since pit-to-car radio became a possibility. The mid-season crackdown on such radio messages seems completely arbitrary. Granted, there may be a case for restricting radio communication in modern Formula 1 because the new regulations and the Pirelli tyres has shifted the challenge of Formula 1 from actually driving a car on the limit to driving a car within a set of constraints defined by circuit characteristics, strategy etc. But you still have to ask – why now? Why in the middle of the season? Why not rework the rules for, say, 2015 instead? This would allow for more effective enforcement of such restrictions than simply varying the degree of application of a current rule.

    This brings me to my second point. The half-hearted approach to this restriction means it is going to be more or less impossible to enforce. What does it mean that “the driver must drive the car alone and unaided”? Would it be okay if Hamilton was told “Rosberg brakes ten metres later into turn three and takes it in fifth gear” versus “consider braking ten metres later into turn three and taking it in fifth gear”? What if a driver and his race engineer come up with “code speak” for basic instructions like preserving tyres, fuel etc.? Is the pit-wall allowed to tell the driver to push? Is it ever going to be Hammer time again? Simply saying that the rule will be enforced more strictly gives no indication of what is and what isn’t okay, because it’s a rule that was never designed to deal with restricting team radio messages in the first place. It’s ridiculous to expect that this approach will achieve the desired result. The stakes are too high and it is too easy to work around.

    This new restriction, along with double points, the must-use-both-compounds rule and the I-can’t-even-remember-who-anymore has to start on their qualifying tyres rule is just one more reason to consider Formula 1 an absolute joke in international sporting terms.

    1. For the sake of brevity, I agree with the above from Thomas Christensen…… OR why waste money on a driver (some are paid many millions) when the “pit” can drive the car by remote control. Since the race tracks are a fixed route, it would be a no brainer to have a driverless car go around and around the track without a remote control… and the DOUBLE POINTS rule for the last race just really causes certain glands to tighten up every time I see it in print or hear Duffy and the gang mention it…. (while I am at it) KERS is also annoying and its various failures over the years has been the cause of many DNFs. KERS is done it seems to me soley so they can call the F! cars HYBREDS!!! what a joke, bad joke actually. Thanks, RnR

  16. I think this is even more stupid than the double points. Not as unfair, but more stupid for sure. It seems that FIA are trying to distance their categories further and further from sport, and make them more X-factor style contests.

    What’s next? No practice allowed? No simulator work? No previous car experience allowed? Will it become illegal to get any kind of opinion from anybody about driving at anytime?

    Certain ex-driver commentators have been peddling their hypocritical and bitter opinions for long time now. FIA are mistaken in thinking that those opinions somehow represent overall opinions in the community, or that people even care, or that they should be taken seriously even if they do.

    I sincerely hope teams find innovative ways to cheat! (Not something I imagined myself saying) And hence the FIA can realize their stupidity and drop the rule, like they did with team orders.

  17. Wow that seems a very vague directive. I can understand wanting to ban engineers advising drivers about how to drive the cars, for example Massa’s engineer telling him he had cross-over between his brake and throttle at the weekend. After all these are supposed to be the best drivers in the world. However, what about if we have a situation as in Canada with Hamilton and Rosberg where the brakes or some other part of the car is overheating or damaged. Is information about this precluded in the new directive?

    Again the people in charge of the sport seem determined to shoot themselves in the foot, by changing things a lot of people don’t feel all that strongly about and at the same time implementing ridiculous gimmicks that nearly everyone is opposed to like the double points and standing restarts. As someone who has really enjoyed the racing this season it really is getting rather tiresome, F1 has a good product right now, it shouldn’t be that difficult to govern and market it properly.

  18. I’m in complete agreement with the spirit of the rules. But I don’t know if rules outside those governing safety should be changed midseason.

    1. But I don’t know if rules outside those governing safety should be changed midseason.

      They can’t be, without unanimous support from all teams.

      However, they are not introducing a new rule. They are changing their interpretation of an existing rule.

      1. As with American case law, reinterpreting existing rules _is_ essentially new rules.

  19. While I can kind of, vaguely, see the point of this, the important piece of information we are missing is the line: What counts as “information that is related to the performance of the car or driver”?

    If the team is coaching a driver on the best line to take through a corner, while I don’t personally think it should be banned, I can see that this would cross the line.

    But what about warning him his brakes or engine are getting too warm? Or that his tyres are wearing out?

    When it comes to F1, everything is related to the performance of the car or driver, including when to come in to the pits, whether rain is on it’s way, or whether they have received a penalty.

    Actually, this annoys me greatly. I have just discovered that the F1 app can play team radio messages, and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing a great deal more information than is played on the TV coverage. This ruling will reduce that. And why? Until the last couple of days, I have heard no one say a word about it.

    1. Exactly!

      This is just like team orders all over again. A clear defined instruction can easily be coded anyway.

    2. I just read an article on GPupdate.net based on questions they asked of the FIA and it seems that the FIA also sees it that way

      When it comes to F1, everything is related to the performance of the car or driver,

      Seems only things like having to go into the pits (as that is an instruction they have to give via radio) and probably information about any penalties and almost certainly about things like blue flags, yellow flags and position of other cars on track (to avoid blocking them or being hindered by them) in training sessions are going to be allowed.

      In other words, unless the FIA start broadcasting every single radio message, we will hear a great deal less of them.

      1. W…T…F!? Are they actively trying to make it less exciting?

  20. I HATE the idea of restricting team radio as its one of the best features of the TV broadcast & one of the things I love been able to listen to as it.
    I also hate the idea of any ban on car to pit telemetry as again been able to see that telemetry data on the TV broadcasts is something I love seeing.

    I also don’t get the complaints about drivers been told how to improve there lap times, Or how to better manage the tyres/fuel etc…. Its a team sport & this sort of thing has been going on since team radio was 1st introduced & its the same sort of thing that goes on in every category.
    By banning that, Team radio or telemetry your just knocking F1 a few steps down when compared to other categories.

    Regardless of what info there getting from the teams its still down to the drivers to drive the cars, They can be told to brake later into a corner but its still upto them to actually brake later & make it work for laptime rather than lock-up & go off.
    This radio clampdown could have a massive negative effect on things with drivers pushing less as there unaware of what the tyres are doing (The Pirelli’s are difficult to get a feel for remember) or unaware of how much fuel they will have at the end resulting in them running out (As we saw in the 80s).
    Not to mention that a driver been told where to find time could actually improve the racing by helping him catch a car ahead & produce a battle.

  21. I think this rule change will effect Hamilton the most, he is the one most using his teammates data to gain time – at least from the broadcast comments. ie Hamilon “Where can I be faster” -engineer “Ok Lewis, brake later in turn nine” or “nico is 2 tenths faster in sector 3, carry more speed through turn 11”. this kind of dialougue should be disallowed – the driver should figure this out for himself on the track – they already have the overlays when waiting in the pit in qualifying which has gone on for ever, and which I personally think should be banned also. hopefully teams wont come up with codes to overcome the ban, it will be pretty obvious pretty quickly if they do use codes.

    1. at least from the broadcast comments

      And that’s the problem. If we go from the broadcast comments, Alonso and Kimi (or the bottom half of the grid) hardly ever speak on their radio. Your argument is spurious because you can’t be sure how much each person interacts via radio.

  22. F1 is a team sport, Yes the drivers are the one’s out there driving the cars but if the team can see from telemetry or the timing data that a driver is losing time in a specific sector/corner then for the benefit of the team why should they not be allowed to tell a driver where he’s losing time. If by doing that it allows a driver to find that time & be more competitive which gives us a better race then why is it seen as such a negative?

    The drivers are still the one’s driving the cars, Even when told where there losing time the drivers are still the one’s who have to go out there & put the data into practice by braking later, carrying more speed & getting on the throttle sooner. By been told he needs to brake later into turn 1 or whatever Max Chilton is not suddenly on the same level as Hamilton, Its still down to driver skill to figure out how to improve where there told they need to.

    It happens in other categories so why should it suddenly be banned in F1 just because everyone within F1 want to ignore the real reasons why many fans have turned off or been unable to afford to tune in to begin with.

    There’s also nothing stopping teams from just relaying messages via the pit board.

    1. EXACTLY!!!!

    2. In my view, figuring out where to brake, what cornering line should be taken and any general driving tricks should be done in the practice sessions. The difference from friday to sunday in track conditions should be judged by the drivers themselves. Should the team want a better result for them, just hire better drivers, not instruct the drivers mid-race how they should take turn 11 or where to brake. In practice they can watch telemetry and see how and where they can find more time: that’s why it’s called practice.

      1. It is also banned in the practice sessions…

        1. Is pitting to see your telemetry also banned? I’d much rather see them try to find ways to go faster by themselves instead of being told to hit an earlier apex. They do seem excessive in banning absolutely everything, from fuel/engine/brake info to launch mode settings. But, then again, as everyone pretty much agrees already, this will be a nightmare to police, we’ll have our next coded-word drama in the next GP almost certainly.
          Is it just me, or the driver tips on how to corner/brake are much much more common than the years before? I honestly can’t remember this sort of message before 2014.

  23. Yet more over-regulation.

    Its stupid, The teams/drivers can look at the data overlays in the pits & can be just told the same stuff in the post-practice debriefs so why not let them discuss all this in real time?
    You see the same thing in every other category including the junior series so banning what has become a normal part of racing is utterly pathetic.

    What happens if a sensor fails which can be fixed from the car but the driver has no idea how to fix it? Do we have more cars falling out the race through stupid little glitches?

  24. Imagine if Merhi gets a race seat. All alone at Singapore, probably the most demanding race on the calender. Intense humidity, 2 hours, bumps and kerbs, night time. And no advice on how he’s doing.

    1. @mickey18 I’m playing devil’s advocate here a bit, but wouldn’t that be an argument for not throwing a rookie in at the deep end at one of the toughest races of the year?

      1. @keithcollantine Haha yeah. Well I don’t think anything is ideal for them at this stage though. There was no real reason to throw Kobayashi away for Spa either. It was probably done for ‘contractual’ reasons and with kolles at the helm I’d guess he’d have no problem doing it again. Trial by fire for Merhi or not.

  25. I’m not surprised they put this rule in. It’s been one that people have been complaining about (albeit wrongly in my opinion) over the last few years, and is typical of the ‘short term fixes’ the FIA have introduced over the last few years.

    What I am surprised at is the decision to introduce it so quickly. Such changes should really be held to the breaks between seasons rather than the breaks between races, especially when there’s such a tight championship (not just for 1st, but at various points down the field).

  26. The current FIA should retire. This is just getting ridicilous.

  27. I suppose I don’t mind if they can make it work. They’re having a meeting in Singapore where Charlie will give more detail apparently, and they can discuss.

    They’ll allow settings calls, one would think. Safety calls. Brake temperatures?? Tyre temperatures?? Time gaps. Sector times but maybe not comparative? Fuel saving techniques.

    Exclude cornering speeds, throttle application, braking points.

    Well I don’t know, it’s tricky but perhaps they can map it all out. Start off with warnings rather than penalites while they get it all defined.

    If they can then I will prefer not to have drivers being coached in real time, for the same reasons other sports ban it, like tennis. Though it doesn’t appear to have had much effect on who’s faster…

    1. They specifically said settings calls were exactly the type of info they were banning. Along with brake and tire temps and wear.

  28. Why do they always have to meddle?! The radio messages are so much fun!

    1. There’s nothing particularly fun about “brake bias three clicks forward”, “drive to the beeps on turn three”, “brake 5 meters later on turn 12”.

      We’ll still get to hear the drivers ranting about things. Possibly moreso as the team cant advise them on how to improve their situation. As long as the teams can still advise about safety issues (pretty much guaranteed they can) then I’m all for this.

      1. @textuality so hearing the drivers push for every last hundredth of a second is a bad thing? I have to say I disagree.

        1. What’s that got to do with the actual radio messages being fun?

          That aside, am I to believe drivers weren’t pushing for every millisecond before they had the teams telling them exactly when to brake and how to tweak their car? Rubbish, if anything it was clearer they were pushing because you were more likely to see the result of them trying something that didn’t quite work.

          1. The radio messages show just how much of a team effort the race is. Also, over the past few years the top brass have been looking at how to make the sport more attractive. The radio messages offer a great insight into the strategic thinking of each team. It gives the sport a lot more depth for viewers, making it much more enjoyable. And unlike some other recent ideas (e.g. artificially wet races, trumpet looking things to increase noise) this is not gimmicky in the slightest.

  29. It will be both hard for the FIA to impose and for the teams to follow – there can be some genuine errors. Of course the engineer won’t come on the radio to say “would like a cup of coffee?” but only the most relevant things, and who knows exactly what is and what isn’t allowed? I hope to start with they’ll go down easy on any infringement, especially as it’ll be the drivers paying for it.

  30. Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear.
    Why the hell honestly for goodness sake!

    This is a complete joke. They just pile more and more unnecessary rules and regulations on. Just quit with it and let them push.

  31. F1 was still F1 before the days of team radio. I believe this will effectively prohibit virtually all radio communication but I don’t think it is really a bad thing. I enjoy the radio on the coverage but am a bit unhappy with drivers being nursed around the track an live data from the pits. Hopefully the pit boards will become the focus just like in MotoGP

    1. Before team radio, there was also far more tolerances in the engines and gearboxes, less sensors, less everything. Different times and different measures.

      1. Oh ya, and no engine/gearbox limits and penalties either.

  32. Poorly conceived and unmanageable. Plently of disasterous and obvious situations have been laid out here. To me this runs against the spirit of F1, which has always been about the melding of team, machine, and driver, to optimise the result. It is just as with the coxwain and the rowers in crew. The engineer, like the coxwain, is an essential part of running the race. I admit I was amused to hear Mercedes in Austria telling Rosberg, slow in and fast out, as if he were at a weekend HPDE event driving his Camry. But I recognize that in reality, Nico knows how to drive the car, and the team is trying to optimise the driving style with the car’s settings. This is a natural part of the sport.

  33. Its surprising that this has suddenly become such a big issue given how these kinds of messages are nothing new, We were hearing them when we 1st got access to the radio broadcasts in 2000 & I know for a fact that they were happening even before then.

    I guess the perception is that its something new, Something thats come in this year because of the new engines & fuel limits which some are against. However as I already said drivers been ‘assisted’ by the pits is nothing new at all.

    Its also something not unique to F1, Most categories now have radio communications (Some even use it in Karting now) & in categories which have radio communication you always hear drivers been given assistance be it in-depth telemetry based information or some information based on lines through corners or other bits of information based off watching the TV feed or via a team member ‘spotting’ at a part of the circuit.

    I’m neither for or against this ban as I don’t care either way, But it does seem odd to clampdown on something thats not only been going on for over 20 years but thats also now a widespread feature across all forms of racing.

    Slightly off topic, I find Anthony Davidson’s constant complaining about this a bit hypocritical given how he has admitted (In the next sentence after he was complaining) that he’s given the same sort of assistance in WEC.

  34. Here’s something to think about when looking at potential gray areas.

    Messages relating to Fuel usage & Tyre wear/temperature.

    After all messages relating to strategy are still allowed & could messages telling drivers to save fuel or to manage the tyres in certain corners or to work to raise/lower tyre temperatures not be considered a part of the strategy decisions?

    I can also see other potential issues with regards to policing & deciding what falls under which category.

  35. This is absolutely stupid.

    The FIA should have learned from the whole team orders farce at Hockenheim that teams will only get around this by using coded messages, and when they do, they’ll pretty much get away with it. Given how sophisticated these cars are and how much can go wrong on them, I’d want as much information on the car’s performance as possible, especially from a safety point of view – are the teams no longer able to make the driver aware that their brakes may not last the race?

    The only thing that this will do is result in even more stupid coded messages that not even we as F1 Fanatics understand, let alone the casual fan.

    The FIA are fixing yet another problem that doesn’t really exist. Why don’t they go and fix double points, extreme dieting or safety car restarts – real problems that they have only created themselves.

  36. Re team radio, here is a nice summary of the really draconian stance of fia on this:
    http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/316066/q-a-with-the-fia-on-team-radio-restrictions/

    some of the jaw droppers:

    Q: Is a warning that the driver is tight on fuel consumption a breach of the regulations?
    A: Yes, we believe so. The driver should see that on the dashboard (like a fuel gauge on a road car). *

    Q: Are warnings about the condition of the brakes or tyres (slow puncture) still allowed?
    A: No, this should be displayed to the driver from data gathered onboard, again like a fuel gauge on a road car.

    Q: Are commands such as SOC 3, MIX 5, FUEL 2 still allowed?
    A: No, definitely not. This is exactly what we feel infringes Article 20.1.

    Q: What about all of the instructions the drivers receive on a formation lap in order to warm up the tyres and brakes, synchronise the gearbox, carry out burnouts and so on?
    A: None of this would be allowed as again, this is exactly what we feel infringes Article 20.1.

    before you know it it’ll be like ‘Life on Mars F1’

    1. Where the display was optional this season, it now appears to be “mandatory”.

      Idiotic.

    2. Alternatively what we could get is the better drivers getting better results due to their ability to drive and manage their car better than their rivals.

      There’s no reason why a driver shouldn’t be able to read a fuel gauge (or integrated digital display or whatever else they call them), the same goes for warning indicators.
      Personally I’d rather do away with the knobs and switches that control fuel mix and various other settings and use the pedal under their right foot to control fuel use and power output.
      The drivers spend plenty of time in the simulator, there’s no reason they can’t learn warm up and start procedures in them and during free practice.

      I can’t see anything jaw dropping or even mildly worrying about any of those quotes, these guys are supposed to be the best racing drivers in the world – I would love to see just how good they are when the teams stop holing their hands and let them race.

      1. There’s no reason why a driver shouldn’t be able to read a fuel gauge (or integrated digital display or whatever else they call them), the same goes for warning indicators.

        The problem is not every team runs the big display which provides much of this data & not every driver likes the big display because it changes the size/shape of the wheel.

        The drivers who run the big LCD display can have all that data, The drivers who don’t will not have access to much of this data putting them at a big disadvantage.

        1. And also consider that its not unheard of for the displays to fail.

          Also consider that with fuel especially the calculations are done on the pit wall, The drivers can see how much there using but they will not be able to see if thats enough to get to the end or not.

          The main reason we don’t see drivers run out of fuel as often as we did in the 80s is because its now the teams doing the fuel calculations in real time & telling the driver if there using too much or have enough.

          I fear that we may now see every driver been ultra cautious with fuel usage as they will be completely blind to if there using too much or not.

          1. Displays definitely will and do fail. Consider the number of times in your car that you get a warning light coming on falsely. I wonder if a warning light comes on, is a driver allowed to ask “I’ve got X light on, am I doing okay with X?” and have the pit wall tell them? For instance, if they get an engine light on, they’d obviously want to stop the car to preserve it if it’s a correct reading. If it’s false, they could be stopping and ruining their race. I guess this goes under the reliability argument. But again, where is the line about what they’re allowed to be told? This just seems like it’ll be difficult to be made black and white.

        2. If they don’t run the big display they can always install a seperate fuel gauge, so hardly a significant problem.

          We’re always hearing that teams under fuel the cars, if they’re seriously concerned that their driver may run out of fuel they could always choose to end this practice and send them out with an amount closer to the legal limit. So again, not a serious problem and, if anything, another challenge for the drivers and teams to overcome.

          1. – And a separate tire temperature gauge for each wheel… Of which there are three temperatures (in, center, out) for each, brake temperature gauge (*4), ERS temperature gauge, engine temperature gauge…

            Let’s install the cockpit from an airliner, that’d work!

          2. If they don’t run the big display they can always install a seperate fuel gauge, so hardly a significant problem.

            They can’t add an extra fuel gauge or anything as there restricted just to the 2 types of display which come with the standard MES ECU, No additional displays can be added as they would not work with the ECU & could not be wired into the wiring looms anyway.

            Here’s the new for 2014 LCD display-
            http://www.mclarenelectronics.com/Products/Product/PCU-8D
            And the older more basic LED display which several teams still run-
            http://www.mclarenelectronics.com/Products/Product/PCU-6D

            Upgrading to the new display is also not as easy as it would seem as the displays are built into the cockpit/wheel design pre-season. And not every driver likes running the newer display because it means a larger steering wheel & some drivers prefer the smaller, Butterfly shaped wheels.
            There is also the different button layouts, Different drivers prefer things in different places so they go with a wheel/display design to best match there preferences.

            This year’s Mercedes wheel with the LCD display-
            http://wordlesstech.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/The-new-Mercedes-F1-steering-wheel.jpg
            Williams wheel without the display, Older LED display is on the top of the dash-
            http://www.formula1.com/wi/enlarge/0x0/sutton/2013/dms1431ja91.jpg
            Lotus wheel with LED dash-
            http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/2012_Italian_GP_-_Lotus_wheel.jpg

            If they wanted to bring in this restriction they should have waited until 2015 so that teams could work the larger display into there cockpit/wheel layouts better & so that the ECU software & displays could be upgraded to give additional information as some of the info drivers will need.

  37. This is another stupid mid-season regulation change, disguised as enforcement of a current regulation.

    It is one thing to hear that your teammate is quicker in turn 10, but quite another to go quicker through turn 10 yourself. Anyway, as we have often seen with Mercedes this season the difference might be in the setup, tyres or brake materials.

    The F1 competition is between teams, and the prize money is awarded to teams. Teamwork involves communication.

    It has been really good to hear how the teams work, just as it is good to hear how referees in other sports reach their decisions. It is a shame that the FIA have been asked to take that away from fans.

    1. Exactly, what about Red Bull telling Daniel Ricciardo to get in the thick of things at Monza as there are plenty of spots to be made up. It’s one thing to say it, a totally different thing for Daniel to overtake them on track! Just because Red Bull said it, it doesn’t mean that Daniel could have pulled it off. He could have easily been involved in a racing incident and all those spots vanished into thin air.

      It reminds me of the team telling Checo to conserve the tyres with Button right behind him:-) “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Infingement, you’ve just aided Checo!” The NBC guys were laughing saying “Oh and why don’t you also look after the engine while you’re driving at 220mph!”:-)

  38. I don’t understand what this is a solution too really.

    A driver is a competitor who wants to improve. A team wants the best from it’s drivers. What, then, is wrong with ‘coaching’ the drivers

    Watching telemetry overlays is as old as telemetry it self. Teaching theory on racing-lines, breaking technique etc is also not exactly new. Besides, a coach ‘coaching’ a football player on technique is normal, no? Practicing systems and dead-ball situations are too. Or a basketball coach running a play for his team or even radio head-sets in American football are all considered ‘normal’ and part of eh you know: competing.

    Coaching takes nothing away from the sport (i.e. competition) imho it even adds too it as they strive for improvenent.

    Artificial driver aids like start regulating software (like the one malfunctioning for HAM last sunday), traction control or ABS are perfomance improving too but they DO take away from the sport artificially and therefor are not desirable.

    That cross-over is always going yo be a litle bit of a grey area, I know, but ciaching a driver is not in that grey area at all and imho perfectly ‘normal’ just like in any other sport.

  39. Well this rule opens a chasm of grey areas

  40. Good rule, but unenforceable.
    To let the driver drive de car and not the pit, when passing the starting line just ban all pit to car radio communication. Only allow the pit board.

  41. Another pointless mid-season rule change from the FIA.

    The wording of the rule seems so vague that it could include almost anything, as most messages could be deemed to be related to the performance of the car or the driver.

    I really hope the FIA clarify more precisely what is and isn’t allowed before the next race.

    I don’t even understand why they have decided to do this now, was there a big outcry from the fans recently about team radio, or is it another case of the powers that be fixing a problem that didn’t exist as they did with double points.

    If the argument is that teams are giving drivers more information than they used to over the radio then it is because cars are much more complicated now than they used to be, just compare a current steering wheel with older versions if you need any evidence.

  42. So the drivers should be able to see their laptimes, laps to go and gaps to opponents on the dash. Before they got this info on boards hung from the pitwall

    I went through the recent radio transcript to look for instructions to drivers on how to drive the car or about instructions on settings:
    FL Ayao Komatsu Romain Grosjean Try to shift up at higher engine speed, please.
    3 Andrew Murdoch Felipe Massa DRS enabled. Use overtake if you need to.
    6 Andrew Murdoch Felipe Massa Do not use overtake at the minute.
    6 Brad Joyce Nico Hulkenberg You’ve got Ricciardo behind. Chassis four, P4.
    8 Tony Ross Nico Rosberg So other car reporting rear tyres goind off so just be aware.
    9 Tony Ross Nico Rosberg So Nico looks like you locked front and rears together there.
    10 Peter Bonnington Lewis Hamilton OK Lewis you may use strat two on the main straight only, exit turn eleven to turn one, strat two only for two laps.
    13 Tony Ross Nico Rosberg Try an earlier apex in turn 11, Parabolica. Try and open the steering on exit for scrubbing.
    15 Andrew Murdoch Felipe Massa You’re pressing the brakes when on throttle into turn five.
    15 Peter Bonnington Lewis Hamilton Nico carrying more speed entry apex turn 11.
    18 Peter Bonnington Lewis Hamilton It now looks like you’re picking up a tow so you’re slower in corners, faster on the straights.
    19 Tony Ross Nico Rosberg All cars are getting degradation like yourself.
    23 Tony Ross Nico Rosberg Push hard now, two more timed laps.
    24 Peter Bonnington Lewis Hamilton Go strat mode four, it’s hammer time.
    33 Gianpiero Lambiase Sergio Perez Try to push up to the guys ahead if you can, Checo. Do not use the overtake button.
    37 Gianpiero Lambiase Sergio Perez I know I’m asking the impossible, but just control the rear tyre slip and as long as we’re in this DRS train we’re OK, OK?
    42 Gianpiero Lambiase Sergio Perez And use the overtake button if you need to to defend. Only on the start/finish straight.
    44 Gianpiero Lambiase Sergio Perez OK Checo we just need to keep it tidy and make sure we get to the end now.
    44 Guillaume Rocquelin Sebastian Vettel You’re doing a good job with your tyres, your pace is good. Ten laps to go.
    46 Simon Rennie Daniel Ricciardo Alright then Daniel, Nine laps to go. Vettel doing 29.6s, you are eight tenths quicker than him. Let’s get him.
    48 Gianpiero Lambiase Sergio Perez OK Checo we want to test using the overtake button on the exit of Ascari as well. Continue with the start/finish straight.

    Although I guess all the “strat x allowed” and “overtake button” messages would be on the dash too because those seem to be simply related to fuel usage.

  43. As others have said, I understand the spirit and would LIKE it to work, but find it tough to see how teams won’t find ways around it. That said, from what I understand NASCAR doesn’t allow car telemetry at all, correct? That’s how they’ve kept this sort of thing from happening and could be feasible. But then come the cries of F1 taking a step back technologically. Like most other technological advances in racing, you really can’t put the genie back in the bottle and when you do attempt that, you’re doing exactly what you set out to: taking racing back a number of years. It feels like we’re trying to recapture “the good old days” whenever we can. It can make the racing more fun, but in a sport built on a sort of trickle-down theory, is it for the good? It’s hard to say.

  44. It’s obviously going to be extremely difficult to actually enforce this, but I kind of like the idea of it. There’s definitely too much interference with the driver through team radio, and if this measure actually helps to curb it, then I’m all for it.
    Although knowing how crafty F1 teams can be, I’m also convinced that we’re going to be hearing some bizarrely oblique radio messages in the coming races…

  45. Kimi Raikkonen: “Leave me alone. I know what I’m doing.” Suddenly new meaning to the best quote from team radio.

  46. This is one of the stupidest rule changes I have ever seen. This idea that it should be the driver alone is totally silly. This is a TEAM sport. All the members of a team are participants. Obviously the drivers get the most exposure but the guys and gals at the factory working in the CAD software or manufacturing parts are also important. Also it’s not as if it’s easy to drive an F1 car, it’s not like driving your everyday car driving on a motorway. Now not only do drivers need to manage actually driving they now need to decide their race fuel strategy, engine power modes, etc. The team has a fleet of engineers in the back of the garage dong this. Now the FIA decide for no clear reason that the driver should also replace the ten engineers working on monitoring the car. It’s ok that F1 is technical why are they trying to mask that? If they think it’s detrimental to the broadcast then don’t air the clips of them saying switch to yellow G1 etc.

    On a side note, this may help the teams that have implemented the LCD displays in the wheel as opposed to the old one line dash. Notably Red Bull have stayed with this old display. I believe Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren use the new one. With the new one you can display more information at the same time and remove the need for as much scrolling or switching displays.

    1. That last point is a really good one. Teams designed their cars based on the FIA’s old interpretation of the rules, which did not disadvantage one-line displays because they had the radio messages to fall back on. Now those teams will be handicapped by this mid-season change.

      After double diffusers, blown exhausts, and now this, surely it is time for Charlie Whiting to accept that he’s past it. Let’s recognise that this is a hightech team sport.

  47. “The standard range of penalties are available for the stewards if any team falls foul of the tougher stance the FIA is taking.”

    Therein lies the rub. The FIA can now control the way the races and the championship develop according to their or the stewards whim at the time, it’s rubbish to do this in the middle of the season. The FIA should acknowledge it’s impossible to govern fairly. In future such information could be provided on a constant basis to the driver who could work out tyre temperatures fuel consumption etc for themselves

  48. Fully expect this restriction to be overturned after all eleven teams end up breaching it in Singapore.

  49. Aren’t all teams using radio communication and benefiting from this? What’s the point of restricting communication?

    The rule states:
    “The driver must drive the car alone and unaided.”

    It all depends on your definition of driving the car” and obviously the FIA are suddenly taking the wider-ranging definition.

    Technically changing the tyres aids the driver in driving the car so should pit stops be done by the drivers? The FIA could definitely make the argument for that and that would add quite the twist to F1 – forget about double points and DRS – pit stops performed by drivers would make F1 quite the show to watch. And we haven’t even talked about Front Wings yet:-)

  50. Shouldn’t we be asking WHY this sudden change?
    What have they heard in the radio transmissions from the LAST race, for them to change it so suddenly?
    Things going too good for the WRONG prospective champion, again?
    Pfft!!

  51. In the 50’s and 60’s, the teams communicated with the driver through boards stuck out on the track by a hapless pit-monkey.
    It would be neat to see if this comms-method would work these days. Of course I know it couldn’t be, but hey…(I wish).
    Let the driver drive and the team fix the car I say… :)

  52. My wife,walking by the television while the last race was on,asked why the drivers were being coached.I said they always do that.She said it was amateur.Nigel wasnt like that. OUCH!!!!!!!!Within a week the FIA changed the rule.

    1. So it was her idea to make this change? Does she know Charlie Whiting?

  53. They will just use the pit board and put messages like S2 or T7 or something that would still be allowed.

    1. But that is a whole other level than the amount of information and driving advice they now get corner to corner.

      1. Yes that should be banned however they are also banning things like telling a driver that their brakes are over heating, or change the ers mode etc. I think they are taking it a bit too far. Yes the information can be seen on the dash but why have the driver have to read so much data on the dash. In circuits like Monza you have a long straight to read it but in Singapore its gonna be hard to read too much data on the dash.

  54. I don’t understand. Does the FIA want the drivers to just drive or does it want them to become engineers who know every single aspect of the car?
    I mean, I understand the ban to team radios like “brake later in turn 9, carry more apex speed” and things like that. After all they’re drivers, they should know how to go fast. But apparently the teams can’t tell the drivers what settings to use, which is a step in the opposite direction. I want to see drivers driving, I don’t want them to memorize all the engine, brake and ERS settings.

    I think that these restrictions would have been better before the start of a season, because the teams would have been able to simplify the systems in the car.

    1. When you say “I understand the ban to team radios like “brake later in turn 9, carry more apex speed” and things like that. After all they’re drivers, they should know how to go fast.” …

      That’s right, and you should end your comment there.

      Because when you go onto to fabricate this position …”apparently the teams can’t tell the drivers what settings to use, which is a step in the opposite direction. I want to see drivers driving, I don’t want them to memorize all the engine, brake and ERS settings.” …

      Where in the above article did you get that information. Your extrapolating to an extreme and creating alarm over something not implied.

      1. It’s not written in this article, but I read it in another article (which was posted a few comments ago). I’ll post it again: http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/316066/q-a-with-the-fia-on-team-radio-restrictions/

  55. So they can’t even have settings instructions over the radio any more. Nor tyre temps or clutch preparation.

    This is quite severe. There must be some frantic work on displays going on. I wonder if they’ll get into head-up displays on visors? If any of them have anything part-developed in a cupboard?

    I see Red Bull and Williams have small screens on their steering wheels. I can imagine some late nights there.

  56. Personally, I am quite surprised at the amount of “this rule is stupid” comments being displayed here. I think a lot of people are taking the intention of FIA’s comments to an extreme and then commenting on that. FIA’s position to me just seems to be an attempt to put more driving onus back into the hands of the driver when they are out on track. Drive your car and race your race. There’s no need for on-track supporting advice from pitwall based on live computer analysis or mass observations by a bank of viewers analyzing performance impact of certain corners. That’s for the driver to manage in their race. And how well they do that … isn’t that the mark of a good/great driver?
    Stop being silly about like his oil pressure just went zero but shush … they can’t tell the driver. That’s not what this is about.

  57. I understand they won’t be able to say: brake 10 meters later on turn 3, or accelerate 10 meters earlier out of turn 4. What I don’t understand is: will they be allowed to say: you’re slow, push more? if yes, will they be allowed to say: you’re slow on first sector, push more? if yes, will they be allowed to say you’re slow on turn 4 push more?
    I’m missing completely where the burden stands.

    1. No, no and no. They aren’t even allowed to tell them how they are doing on fuel or temperature, to change engine mode or similar changes. http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/316066/q-a-with-the-fia-on-team-radio-restrictions/

  58. This ruling is pathetic and winning a race will be more about who lucks into it not driver skill, it just won’t work in this current climate of highly technical cars that are ruled by electronics and cheese tyres.

  59. I think it will not work.

  60. Ludicrous decision. FIA expertise.

  61. Is Hammer Time still allowed?

  62. I’m completely in favour of driving instructions not being allowed.

    But

    Team orders are but not being able to tell a driver how to fix a malfunctioning car or that he’s brakes are getting dangerously hot?

    Surly theres something wrong there?

  63. Just a point regarding the displays based on some comments i’ve seen.

    The teams cannot develop there own displays or put there own information on the displays. They only have 2 types of display available & both come with the MES ECU as standard & can only display what the ECU allows it to display & thats the same for every team.

    The new for 2014 LCD display-
    http://www.mclarenelectronics.com/Products/Product/PCU-8D
    The older LED display still used by a couple teams-
    http://www.mclarenelectronics.com/Products/Product/PCU-6D

    Anyone using the LED display will be unable to add an extra display to show fuel usage, tyre temps/pressures etc…. They will be restricted just to the information available on that LED display which is pretty basic.

    It is also not necessarily as easy as it sounds to make the switch to the new LED display as whatever display is selected by each team/driver is built into the basic cockpit/wheel design pre-season with the wiring loom layout done depending on where the display is mounted (On the dash or on the wheel).
    If a team decides its driver will need the LCD dash they will have to design a new wheel, Totally change the button/switch layout & perhaps the size/shape of the wheel to accommodate the larger display & in some cases also alter the wiring loom to move the display location from the dash to the wheel.

    This year’s Mercedes wheel with the LCD display-
    http://wordlesstech.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/The-new-Mercedes-F1-steering-wheel.jpg
    Williams wheel without the display, Older LED display is on the top of the dash-
    http://www.formula1.com/wi/enlarge/0×0/sutton/2013/dms1431ja91.jpg
    Lotus wheel with LED dash-
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/2012_Italian_GP_-_Lotus_wheel.jpg

    If they wanted to bring in this restriction they should have waited until 2015 so that teams could work the larger display into there cockpit/wheel layouts better & so that the ECU software & displays could be upgraded to give additional information as some of the info drivers will need isn’t even available on either display.

  64. This interpretation bans the communication of performance data, not but not specifically by radio. So if gap times are ‘performance data’ then they cannot be put on pit boards either. I am not sure if this is actually intended. I have no problem with pit 2 car communication of any data. What needs to be stopped is instructions on how to drive faster, how to save fuel etc. I don’t even have a problem with telling a driver that he needs to save fuel, or to push now, or to pit now. However its going to be hard to define the difference.

    1. Sorry, just checked the text of the directive and it does specify radio comms , but I cannot see how the regulation could be interpreted in such a way as to make this discrimination. Unless this directive is amended I think teams could push the point and take it up with the stewards, but this risks disqual. I think more thought is required, and ideally a more specific reg should be placed for next year.

  65. I thought F1 is a team sport and meant to be the pinnacle of Motorsport, If the technology allows for drivers to receive feedback via their TEAM then they should be receiving it.

    What about gear upshift beeps? Is this an aid? If this is still allowed then the teams will spend a fortune on developing automatic audible notifications to replace pit to radio comms.

    1. I also meant to say, its not like what the teams are passing to the driver is whimsical advice. Its based on hard data that the TEAM engineers are receiving.

  66. This is a GOOD thing.

  67. I think the ban is a good idea. The driver should be the one driving the car and not the engineer on the pit wall. I think it will help those drivers with the best car craft to move toward the front.

    It’s a shame the FIA haven’t taken the last race transcripts and identified the messages that would break the new rules. This would help both teams and fans to fully understand the changes

  68. Well it seems that the FIA geniuses have really lost it, haven’t they??? That is the most ridiculous thing they could ever come up with as a solution to a problem that never really existed! How will they be ever able to police something like that? And what will be the punishment if a driver receives “banned” information? Stop-go penalty? That is simply ridiculous! Even more than the Abu-Double!
    I read a comment about the influence that the SkyF1 guys have on the FIA and unfortunately I start to believe that it’s true! Dear Jean Todt why don’t you resign and ask Crofty and Martin run the show??? Oh and here’s another thought! Go back to the old Nurburgring! Without any safety changes! That should be a challenge! You can also ban the semi-automatic gearboxes! It’s too easy for them now, isn’t it? Or we could go back to the V12 engines of 1990 maybe! Without any evolution allowed of course! Because, hey! Those were the days! And than they can rename the sport “Formula Sky” or “Martin’s Magic Formula” so that the rest of us can all go watch football!!!!

  69. What about in qualifying can a driver still be told “X is behind on a hot lap stay out of his way”

  70. Kimi will be happy…

  71. I see that coaching is also to be banned in practice sessions: http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/316066/q-a-with-the-fia-on-team-radio-restrictions/

    What other sport does not allow a team member to be coached during practice?

    The more I think about this change the more stupid it seems – I can only suppose that the FIA do not think.

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