The new technical guideline will be introduced from the Hungarian Grand Prix in August to reduce the likelihood of a car returning to the track before all four wheels are properly attached.
F1 pit stops have been completed in record times in recent years, with stops under 3 seconds and even under 2 seconds becoming the norm.
Red Bull has made the fastest pit stops so far in five of the seven season opener races, three of them below the 2-second mark.
However, after safety concerns were raised about the ever decreasing speeds and after complaints that some teams have exceeded the limits of the regulations, the F1 governing body has issued an updated technical guideline.
On the subject of matching items
The new guideline TD22A cites Article 12.8.4 of the technical regulations, which states: “Devices that are used to attach or remove wheel mountings may only be operated with compressed air or nitrogen. All sensor systems may only act passively. “
According to the new technical guideline, 0.2 seconds must elapse between the final signal and the driver’s approval to leave the pits in order to allow for human reaction times.
On the subject of matching items
The teams must prepare for three races – both the Austrian and the British Grand Prix – before the Technical Guideline comes into force.
McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl welcomed the new technical guidelines in the run-up to the Styrian Grand Prix in Austria this weekend.
“From our point of view, we welcome the FIA’s initiative to bring this clarification out,” he said.
“The safety of our pit crew is one of the most important things for us as a team. Pit stops are a very competitive battlefield in Formula 1 and it is therefore good to clarify more precisely what the FIA expects in order to comply with the rules.
“I don’t think that much will change for us because we have been more and more conservative here, we make sure that we don’t endanger anyone in the pit crew.
“One reason we welcome the initiative is [because] It is important to anticipate security problems and not always wait for them to occur and then react. So we are very happy with it. “
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