The drivers who violated the regulations during the race is imposed the penalty. In the penalty imposed during the race, there are drive-through penalty, penalty stop and time penalty. It introduces the meaning of each penalty and procedure for executing the penalty.
The type of penalty
The penalty imposed during the race is follow.
- Drive-through penalty
- Penalty stop
- Time penalty
How to display the penalty
If the penalty is imposed, the penalty board is displayed at the predetermined observation post near the control line.
For the drive-through penalty, the board with the car number and “D” written on it is displayed. For the penalty stop, the board with the car number and “P” written on it is displayed.
Drive-through penalty
The driver who has been imposed the drive-through penalty must enter the pit and pass through the pit road without stopping at the pit.
Penalty stop
the pit road, and stop until the time imposed has elapsed. The heavier the penalty, the longer the stop time.
Usually, the penalty stop area is set at the end of the pit road. In Formula 1, stop at the front of own pit. Even If it completed the penalty stop, working by team crew is prohibited.
It must enter the pit, and stop in the penalty stop area and wait until the imposed time has elapsed.
Time penalty
Time penalty has been introduced in Formula 1, the driver who was imposed the time penalty must enter the pit, and stop for the time imposed at the own pit (5 or 10 seconds). It is possible to complete the time penalty at the pit stop, but the pit crew is not allowed to touch the car during the time penalty. It is also possible to finish the race without completing the time penalty, in which case 5 seconds is added to the race result after the race.
In case it does not complete the penalty
In case drive-through penalty or penalty stop is imposed but the it does not complete the penalty, it may be disqualified with black flag.
In case the penalty is imposed after the race
In case the penalty is not imposed for a violation during the race, or it is necessary to conduct the hearing from the driver, before the race steward make a judgement, the following measures is taken for the race result.
- Add time for the race result
- Subtraction of laps
- Excluded from the race result
- Admonition
Until penalty is imposed
When the driver has violated the regulations during the race, race control does not imposed the penalty on the driver immediately.
Violations occurring during the race are reported to the race director from the each section chief such as course, pit and technical.
Race director reports the violation to the race stewards, and the race stewards determine what penalty is imposed on the driver. After the decision of the race steward, race director imposes the penalty on the driver officially.
The race steward is consisted of the experts, such as experienced racer or race director, and they verifies the validity of a violation from the viewpoint of a third party. The purposes of the penalty is not imposing the penalty but conducting fair judgement, so the race stewards may overturn the judgement of the race director.
