F1 rules update stamps out Abu Dhabi-style partial unlapping

The FIA has modified the Formula 1 sporting regulations to clarify one of the rules that proved contentious in last year’s controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix restart.

The sporting regulations had already been changed to include an expedited safety-car restart process, the elimination of the Q2 starting tyre rule for those in the top 10 and also measures to prevent a repeat of last year’s farcical points-paying Belgian Grand Prix.

But a new set of sporting regulations has been published today that features among various tweaks a change to one word in Article 55.13 that deals with backmarkers being allowed to unlap themselves under the safety car.

This is the replacement of the word “any” with “all”, which would prevent a repeat of FIA race director Michael Masi’s decision to let five drivers – Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon, Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel – unlap themselves, without doing so for the remaining three – Daniel Ricciardo, Lance Stroll and Mick Schumacher.

The paragraph now states: “If the clerk of the course considers it safe to do so, and the message ‘LAPPED CARS MAY NOW OVERTAKE’ has been sent to all competitors using the official messaging system, all cars that have been lapped by the leader will be required to pass the cars on the lead lap a d the safety car”.

Mercedes had protested the Abu Dhabi result on the grounds that the safety car restart protocol had not been followed correctly, although this was rejected by the FIA stewards.

This change means that there is now no possible ambiguity in this regulation, as while “any” did suggest it should apply to all cars, there was room to dispute this as “any” and “all” are not exact synonyms.

The previous issue of the 2022 sporting regulations had tidied up other aspects of the restart procedure, including those relating to the restart after the lapped cars had overtaken that was not applied correctly in Abu Dhabi last year.