On the eve of this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix, the penultimate spherical of the 2024 FIA Method One World Championship season, a gathering hosted by FIA Method 1 Stewards offered a discussion board for constructive dialogue on the longer term evolution of driving pointers and stewarding on this planet’s premier racing sequence
Chairman of the FIA Stewards in Method 1, Garry Connelly, hosted the assembly which, aside from the workforce of FIA Stewards, gathered Method 1 drivers and groups’ representatives in addition to illustration of the FIA’s Race Management, together with Race Director Rui Marques.
The aim of the assembly was to additional outline the rights and tasks of the motive force who performs an overtake and the motive force being overtaken, thus encourage wheel-to-wheel racing in a secure and managed method and in addition to to advance consistency of Stewards’ selections.
“The assembly was the most efficient one we have [ever] attended,” Connelly admitted. “The drivers had been implausible with their enter. Very constructive. There was not one adverse remark. There was no finger-pointing. It was very inspiring to see the world’s greatest drivers, speaking clearly and talking constructively on how we will enhance the Driving Requirements Pointers to the good thing about the drivers and to make all of our jobs simpler.
“As Stewards, we aren’t right here to inflict ache on drivers. We’re right here to offer a degree enjoying discipline. It isn’t us towards the drivers, it is the drivers towards the drivers and we’re right here to verify everybody will get a good go.
“We’ve got an open-door coverage. The door to the Stewards’ room is at all times open to any driver who needs to come back up and speak to us a couple of choice that is been taken both in relation to them or in relation to every other driver. We expect Thursday’s assembly emphasised that open-door coverage.
“The Driving Requirements Pointers are a residing doc, so yearly, because the F1 Stewards we attempt to meet with the drivers, sporting administrators and FIA representatives, to see if we have to tweak the rules to make use of the expertise of the final 12 months and see what enhancements we will make to make sure consistency. The aim of the rules is consistency.”
“As Stewards, if drivers and groups and the FIA agree that they need guidelines or pointers to permit extra aggressive driving, we’ll apply these guidelines or pointers. Likewise, if they need stricter driving requirements, we’ll apply these,” he concluded.
FIA’s Single-Seater Sporting Director Tim Malyon was very a lot aligned with Connelly’s notion of the assembly.
“We’ll at all times try to facilitate such conferences, as a result of gaining the suggestions, the perception of the drivers, is extraordinarily vital in permitting us to evolve the rules in the fitting path,” Malyon summarised the assembly throughout which a number of case research had been damaged down, notably overtakes from this yr’s United States Grand Prix.
“We have had some very constructive driver conferences at the previous couple of races, and this was a selected assembly set as much as present the house for that dialogue to proceed, in order that we will have the open trade that we want with the drivers so as to have the ability to evolve the rules for subsequent yr,” stated Malyon.
“We sometimes maintain a gathering like that no less than annually, typically twice a yr, relying on the matters that come up. This yr we have timed this assembly following the constructive discussions in Mexico and Austin.”
The previous FIA Security Director additionally spoke concerning the function the circuits themselves, particularly the run-off areas, play in the case of the drivers’ method to wheel-to-wheel motion.
“Because the FIA, we work constantly with circuits to evolve in some ways. Clearly, we’re engaged on the protection side of circuits. However what that assembly highlighted is that there are a selection of issues on the sporting aspect, which we will prioritise for circuits going ahead,” he defined.
“As we have now carried out this yr, we launched the gravel traps, beginning in Austria, and clearly, with this weekend being maybe the obvious with gravel traps added in a in various locations. We proceed to work with circuits on all matters, nevertheless it was very helpful in yesterday’s assembly to get the perception of the drivers and see how they prioritize the gravel observe idea, not just for observe limits, but additionally for managing among the conditions which have arisen with overtaking throughout the course of the final 4 or 5 races. In all, there was a dedication to work collectively to seek out options that work for everybody,” Malyon concluded.
Modifications to the run-off areas launched this yr embody roughly 2.5m large gravel traps that had been added to Turns 9 and 10 of the Purple Bull Ring in addition to a number of information ones round Lusail Worldwide Circuit, which hosts this weekend’s GP.
FIA Excessive Efficiency Programme basic to race officers’ developmentConnelly additionally addressed the significance of the FIA Excessive Efficiency Programme, which offers tailor-made coaching and mentorship for the game’s greatest stewards and race administrators so as to make them able to carry out roles at FIA World Championship degree occasions.
“The HPP is an initiative of our President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem. A kind of is right here with us at the moment, Caroline Tuta Mionki, a girl from Kenya. Our HPP programme is designed to fast-track proficient younger folks by way of the system, prepare them and get them into FIA championships as Stewards as quickly as they’re totally certified,” he defined.
The FIA HPP has 23 individuals representing 16 completely different FIA Member Golf equipment from six areas. As well as, the FIA’s Regional Stewards Coaching Programme gathered 195 distinctive individuals, with the common age being 37.5 and with 42% feminine participation.
