2019 F1 SPORTING REGULATIONS

33) QUALIFYING PRACTICE

33.1 The qualifying practice session will take place on the day before the race and will start no less than two hours after the end of P3.
The session will be run as follows :

a) For the first eighteen minutes of the session (Q1) all cars will be permitted on the track and at the end of this period the slowest five cars will be prohibited from taking any further part in the session.
Lap times achieved by the fifteen remaining cars will then be deleted.

b) After a seven‐minute break the session will resume for fifteen minutes (Q2) and the fifteen remaining cars will be permitted on the track. At the end of this period the slowest five cars will be prohibited from taking any further part in the session.
Lap times achieved by the ten remaining cars will then be deleted.

c) After an eight‐minute break the session will resume for twelve minutes (Q3) and the ten remaining cars will be permitted on the track.
The above procedure is based upon 20 cars being officially eligible to take part in the Event. If 22 cars are eligible six will be eliminated after Q1 and Q2, if 24 cars are eligible seven cars will be eliminated after Q1 and Q2, and so on if more cars are eligible.

33.2 Any driver whose car stops on the circuit during the qualifying session will not be permitted to take any further part in the session.

33.3 At the end of qualifying practice the times achieved by each driver will be officially published.

33.4 An AOT, as defined in F1 Technical Regulations, must be empty during the complete qualifying practice session.

2019 F1 SPORTING REGULATIONS

36) STARTING PROCEDURE

36.1 40 minutes before the start of the formation lap the pit exit will be opened and all cars, including any that are required to start the race from the pit lane, will be permitted to leave the pit lane to cover a reconnaissance lap. Should any driver wish to cover more than one reconnaissance lap, this must be done by driving down the pit lane at greatly reduced speed between each of the laps. If a driver stops in his pit between reconnaissance laps the car may only re‐join the track by being driven from the driver’s garage and not from his pit stop position.
At the end of these laps all cars starting the race from the grid should stop on the grid in starting order with their engines stopped.
All drivers going to the pit exit at this time must do so at a constant speed and with constant throttle. This applies over the whole of the pit lane whether a driver is going to the pit exit from his garage or travelling through the pit lane between reconnaissance laps.
Any car which does not complete a reconnaissance lap and reach the grid under its own power will not be permitted to start the race from the grid.

36.2 32 minutes before the scheduled start of the formation lap, a warning signal will be given indicating that the end of the pit lane will be closed in two minutes.
30 minutes before the scheduled start of the formation lap the end of the pit lane will be closed and a second warning signal will be given. Any car which is still in the pit lane can start from the end of the pit lane provided it got there under its own power. If more than one car is affected they must line up in the order in which they qualified. However, any car reaching the end of the pit lane after the five minute signal must start behind any car already at the pit exit.
All such cars may then join the race once the whole field has passed the end of the pit lane for the first time after the start.

36.3 The approach of the start will be announced by signals shown ten minutes, five minutes, three minutes, one‐minute and fifteen seconds before the start of the formation lap, each of which will be accompanied by an audible warning.
When the ten minute signal is shown, everybody except drivers, officials and team technical staff must leave the grid.

36.4 When the three minute signal is shown all cars on the grid must have their wheels fitted, after this signal wheels may only be removed in the pit lane.
A penalty under Article 38.3(d) will be imposed on any driver whose car did not have all its wheels fully fitted at the three minute signal.

36.5 When the one minute signal is shown, engines should be started and all team personnel must leave the grid by the time the 15 second signal is given taking all equipment with them.
If any team personnel or team equipment remain on the grid after the 15 second signal has been shown the driver of the car concerned must start the race from the pit lane as specified in Article 36.2. A penalty under Article 38.3(d) will be imposed on any driver who fails to start the race from the pit lane.
If any driver needs assistance after the 15 second signal he must raise his arm and, when the remainder of the cars able to do so have left the grid, marshals will be instructed to push the car into the pit lane.
In either of the above cases, marshals with yellow flags will stand beside any car (or cars) concerned to warn drivers behind.

36.6 When the green lights are illuminated, all cars on the grid should begin the formation lap with the pole position driver leading.
When leaving the grid all drivers must respect the pit lane speed limit until they pass pole position.
Marshals will be instructed to push any car (or cars) which remain on the grid into the pit lane by the fastest route immediately after cars able to do so have left the grid. Any driver being pushed from the grid may not attempt to start the car and must follow the instructions of the
marshals.

36.7 During the formation lap practice starts are forbidden and the formation must be kept as tight as possible.

36.8 Overtaking during the formation lap is only permitted if a car is delayed and cars behind cannot avoid passing it without unduly delaying the remainder of the field. In this case, drivers may only overtake to re‐establish the original starting order. Any driver delayed in this way, and who is unable to re‐establish the original starting order before he reaches the first safety car line, must enter the pit lane and start from the end of the pit lane as specified in Article 36.2.
A penalty under Article 38.3(d) will be imposed on any driver who fails to enter the pit lane if he has not re‐established the original starting order before he reaches the first safety car line.

36.9 When the cars come back to the grid at the end of the formation lap (or laps, see Articles 36.14(c) and 42.5), they must stop within their respective starting grid positions, keeping their engines running.
There will be a standing start, the signal being given by means of lights activated by the permanent starter.
Once all the cars have come to a halt the five second light will appear followed by the four, three, two and one second lights. At any time after the one‐second light appears, the race will be started by extinguishing all red lights.

36.10 Unless specifically authorised by the FIA safety delegate, during the start of a race the pit wall must be kept free of all persons with the exception of the team personnel permitted under Article 22.13, officials and fire marshals.

36.11 If, after returning to the starting grid at the end of the formation lap a problem arises, the following procedures shall apply :

a) If a car develops a problem that could endanger the start the driver must immediately raise his hands above his head and the marshal responsible for that row must immediately wave a yellow flag. If the race director decides the start should be aborted the green lights will be illuminated two seconds after the abort lights are switched on, a board saying “EXTRA FORMATION LAP” will be displayed and all cars able to do so must complete a further formation lap whilst the car which developed the problem is moved into the pit lane.
When leaving the grid to complete the extra formation lap all drivers must respect the pit lane speed limit until they pass pole position.
The team may then attempt to rectify the problem and, if successful, the car may then start from the end of the pit lane. Should there be more than one car involved their starting order will be determined by the order in which they reached the end of the pit lane.
Every time this happens the race will be shortened by one lap.

b) If another problem arises which does not necessitate a delay to the start (see c) below), drivers will be asked to carry out an extra formation lap as set out in a) above. Any driver who caused the start to be aborted, and is then able to start the extra formation lap must enter the pit lane at the end of the lap and start the race as specified in Article 36.2. A penalty under Article 38.3(d) will be imposed on any driver who fails to start the race from the pit lane.

c) If any other problem arises, and if the race director decides the start should be delayed, the following procedures shall apply :

i) If the race has not been started, the abort lights will be switched on, a board saying “DELAYED START” will be displayed, engines should be stopped and all teams will be informed of the likely delay via the official messaging system. Once the start time is known at least five minutes warning will be given.
Tyre changing on the grid is not permitted during such a delay.
Every time this happens the race will be shortened by one lap.

ii) If the race has been started the marshals alongside the grid will wave their yellow flags to inform the drivers that a car is stationary on the grid.

iii) If, after the start, a car is immobilised on the starting grid, it shall be the duty of the marshals to push it into the pit lane by the fastest route. Any driver being pushed from the grid may not attempt to start the car.

iv) Once the car is in the pit lane his mechanics may attempt to start it, if successful the driver may re‐join the race. The driver and mechanics must follow the instructions of the track marshals at all times during such a procedure.

36.12 Should Article 36.11 apply, the race will nevertheless count for the Championship no matter how often the procedure is repeated, or how much the race is shortened as a result.

36.13 Either of the penalties under Articles 38.3c) or d) will be imposed on any driver who is judged to have :

a) Moved before the start signal is given, such judgement being made by an FIA approved and supplied transponder fitted to each car, or ;

b) Positioned his car on the starting grid in such a way that the transponder is unable to detect the moment at which the car first moved from its grid position after the start signal is given.

36.14 Only in the following cases will any variation in the start procedure be allowed :

a) If it starts to rain after the five minute signal but before the race is started and, in the opinion of the race director teams should be given the opportunity to change tyres, the abort lights will be shown on the Line and the starting procedure will begin again at the ten minute point.

b) If the start of the race is imminent and, in the opinion of the race director, the volume of water on the track is such that it cannot be negotiated safely even on wet‐weather tyres, the abort lights will be shown on the Line and all teams will be informed of the likely delay via the official messaging system. Once the start time is known at least ten minutes warning will be given.

c) If track conditions are considered unsuitable to start the race at the scheduled time the start of the formation lap may take place behind the safety car. If this is the case, at the ten minute signal its orange lights will be illuminated, this being the signal to the drivers that the formation lap will be started behind the safety car. At the same time this will be confirmed to all teams via the official messaging system.
When the green lights are illuminated the safety car will leave the grid and all drivers must follow in grid order, no more than ten car lengths apart, and must respect the pit lane speed limit until they pass pole position. The safety car will continue until conditions are considered suitable for racing.
Any cars that were starting the race from the pit lane may join the formation lap once the whole field has passed the end of the pit lane for the first time. Any such cars may complete all formation laps but must enter the pit lane after the safety car returns to the pits and start the race from the end of the pit lane in the order they get there.
Any other car entering the pit lane during the formation laps may re‐join the track but must enter the pit lane after the safety car returns to the pits and start the race from the end of the pit lane in the order they get there.
A penalty under Article 38.3(d) will be imposed on any driver whose tyre(s) are changed for a different specification before the start of the race.
Overtaking during the lap(s) behind the safety car is only permitted under the following circumstances :

i) If a car is delayed when leaving the grid and cars behind cannot avoid passing it without unduly delaying the remainder of the field, or

ii) If there is more than one car starting from the pit lane and one of them is unduly delayed.

In either case drivers may only overtake to re‐establish the original starting order or the order the cars at the pit exit were in when the formation lap was started.
Any driver delayed in either way, and who is unable to re‐establish the original starting order before he reaches the first safety car line on the lap the safety car returns to the pits, must enter the pit lane and may only join the race once the whole field has passed the end of the pit lane after the start of the race.
A penalty under Article 38.3(d) will be imposed on any driver who fails to enter the pit lane if he has not re‐established the original starting order before he reaches the first safety car line on the lap the safety car returns to the pits.
When the clerk of the course decides it is safe to call in the safety car a message “STANDING START” will be sent to all teams via the official messaging system, all FIA light panels will display “SS” and the car’s orange lights will be extinguished. This will be the signal to the teams and drivers that it will be entering the pit lane at the end of that lap.
At this point the first car in line behind the safety car may dictate the pace and, if necessary, fall more than ten car lengths behind it.
Once the safety car has entered the pit lane all cars, with the exception of those required to start from the pit lane, must return to the grid, take up their grid positions and follow the procedures set out in Article 36.9 to 36.13.
If, after several formation laps behind the safety car, track conditions are considered unsuitable to start the race from a standing start, the message “ROLLING START” will be sent to all teams via the official messaging system, all FIA light panels will display “RS” and the car’s orange lights will be extinguished. This will be the signal to the teams and drivers that it will be entering the pit lane at the end of that lap.
At this point the first car in line behind the safety car may dictate the pace and, if necessary, fall more than ten car lengths behind it.
As the safety car is approaching the pit entry the FIA light panels will be extinguished and replaced by waved green flags with green lights at the Line.
No driver may overtake another car on the track until he passes the Line (see Article 5.3) for the first time after the safety car has returned to the pits. The race will be deemed to have started when the leading car crosses the Line after the safety car has returned to
the pits.
If, after several formation laps behind the safety car, track conditions are considered unsuitable to start the race, the message “START PROCEDURE SUSPENDED” will be sent to all teams via the official messaging system and all cars must enter the pit lane behind the safety car. The procedures described in Articles 41 and 42 must then be followed and there will be no standing start.

2019 F1 SPORTING REGULATIONS

39) SAFETY CAR

39.1 The FIA safety car will be driven by an FIA appointed driver and will carry an FIA observer capable of recognising all the competing cars who is in permanent radio contact with race
control.

39.2 Fifty minutes before the start of the formation lap the safety car will leave the pit lane and take up position at the front of the grid and remain there until the five minute signal is given.
At this point (except under Article 36.14(c)) it will cover a whole lap of the circuit and take up position.

39.3 The safety car may be brought into operation to neutralise a race upon the order of the clerk of the course.
It will be used only if competitors or officials are in immediate physical danger on or near the track but the circumstances are not such as to necessitate suspending the race.

39.4 When the order is given to deploy the safety car the message “SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED” will be sent to all teams via the official messaging system, all FIA light panels will display “SC” and all marshal’s posts will display waved yellow flags and “SC” boards for the duration of the intervention.

39.5 No car may be driven unnecessarily slowly, erratically or in a manner which could be deemed potentially dangerous to other drivers or any other person at any time whilst the safety car is deployed. This will apply whether any such car is being driven on the track, the pit entry or the pit lane.

39.6 The safety car will join the track with its orange lights illuminated and will do so regardless of where the race leader is.

39.7 All competing cars must reduce speed and form up in line behind the safety car no more than ten car lengths apart. In order to ensure that drivers reduce speed sufficiently, from the time at which all teams have been sent the “SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED” message via the official messaging system until the time that each car crosses the first safety car line for the second time, drivers must stay above the minimum time set by the FIA ECU at least once in each marshalling sector and at both the first and second safety car lines (a marshalling sector is defined as the section of track between each of the FIA light panels).
The stewards may impose either of the penalties under Article 38.3a), b), c) or d) on any driver who fails to stay above the minimum time as required by the above.

39.8 With the exception of the cases listed under a) to h) below, no driver may overtake another car on the track, including the safety car, until he passes the Line (see Article 5.3) for the first time after the safety car has returned to the pits.
The exceptions are :

a) If a driver is signalled to do so from the safety car.

b) Under 36.14(c) or 39.12 below.

c) When entering the pits a driver may pass another car remaining on the track, including the safety car, after he has reached the first safety car line.

d) When leaving the pits a driver may overtake, or be overtaken by, another car on the track before he reaches the second safety car line.

e) When the safety car is returning to the pits it may be overtaken by cars on the track once it has reached the first safety car line.

f) Whilst in the pit entry, pit lane or pit exit a driver may overtake another car which is also in one of these three areas.

g) Any car stopping in its designated garage area whilst the safety car is using the pit lane (see 39.11 below) may be overtaken.

h) If any car slows with an obvious problem.

39.9 When ordered to do so by the clerk of the course the observer in the car will use a green light to signal to any cars between it and the race leader that they should pass. These cars will continue at reduced speed and without overtaking until they reach the line of cars behind the
safety car.

39.10 Except under 39.12 below, the safety car shall be used at least until the leader is behind it and all remaining cars are lined up behind him.
Once behind the safety car, the race leader must keep within ten car lengths of it (except under 39.13 below).

39.11 Under certain circumstances the clerk of the course may ask the cars and the safety car to use the pit lane. In these cases, a signal to use the pit lane will be displayed before the start of the pit entry and all teams will be informed via the official messaging system, all cars must then enter the pit lane, drive through it and re‐join the track. Any car entering the pit lane under these circumstances may however stop at its designated garage area. A penalty under Article 38.3(c) will be imposed on any driver who fails to enter the pit lane when required to do so.
Other than when the cars and the safety car are required to use the pit lane, no car may enter the pits whilst the safety car is deployed unless it is for the purpose of changing tyres.

39.12 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 teams via the official messaging system, any cars that have been lapped by the leader will be required to pass the cars on the lead lap and the safety car.
This will only apply to cars that were lapped at the time they crossed the Line at the end of the lap during which they crossed the first Safety Car line for the second time after the safety car was deployed.
Having overtaken the cars on the lead lap and the safety car these cars should then proceed around the track at an appropriate speed, without overtaking, and make every effort to take up position at the back of the line of cars behind the safety car. Whilst they are overtaking, and in order to ensure this may be carried out safely, the cars on the lead lap must always stay on the racing line unless deviating from it is unavoidable. Unless the clerk of the course considers the presence of the safety car is still necessary, once the last lapped car has passed the leader the safety car will return to the pits at the end of the following lap.
If the clerk of the course considers track conditions are unsuitable for overtaking the message “OVERTAKING WILL NOT BE PERMITTED” will be sent to all teams via the official messaging system.

39.13 When the clerk of the course decides it is safe to call in the safety car the message “SAFETY CAR IN THIS LAP” will be sent to all teams via the official messaging system and the car’s orange lights will be extinguished. This will be the signal to the teams and drivers that it will be entering the pit lane at the end of that lap.
At this point the first car in line behind the safety car may dictate the pace and, if necessary, fall more than ten car lengths behind it.
In order to avoid the likelihood of accidents before the safety car returns to the pits, from the point at which the lights on the car are turned out drivers must proceed at a pace which involves no erratic acceleration or braking nor any other manoeuvre which is likely to endanger other drivers or impede the restart.
As the safety car is approaching the pit entry the SC boards will be withdrawn and, other than on the last lap of the race, as the leader approaches the Line the yellow flags will be withdrawn and a green flag will be displayed at the Line.

39.14 Each lap completed while the safety car is deployed will be counted as a race lap. However, if the procedure set out in Article 36.14(c) is followed Article 5.3(c) will apply.

39.15 If the safety car is still deployed at the beginning of the last lap, or is deployed during the last lap, it will enter the pit lane at the end of the lap and the cars will take the end‐of‐race signal as normal without overtaking.