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46. The Races

46.1.

A race will not be stopped in the event of rain unless the circuit is blocked or it is dangerous to continue (see Article 47)

46.2.

If a car stops during the race, it must be removed from the track as quickly as possible so that its presence does not constitute a danger or hinder other Competitors. If the driver is unable to drive the car from a dangerous position, it shall be the duty of the marshals to assist him. He may also be moved with help other than that of the marshals (i.e. any equipment, e.g. tractor, etc.) and re-join the race.

46.3.

During the race, drivers leaving the pit lane must do so only when the light at the pit lane exit is green and under their own responsibility. A marshal with a blue flag, or a blue flashing light, will also warn the driver if cars are approaching on the track.

46.4.

Full Course Yellow

Should it be necessary for safety reasons, whenever a car is stopped in a dangerous location, whenever track vehicles are working near the track, marshals are working close to the track or other similar situations, the Race Director will declare a Full Course Yellow period.

A Full Course Yellow period will be deemed to be in operation from the moment a Full Course Yellow countdown is declared on the Team radio or on the timing screen.

The message 'FCY' will be displayed on the monitors and the instruction 'Full Course Yellow' will be given on the Team radio after a countdown.

Waved yellow flags and 'FCY' boards will be shown at all marshal posts, at the Line and at pit exit.

At this point, all cars must be at 80 km/h. Overtaking, except for safety reasons accepted as such by the Race Director or Stewards, is forbidden from the moment that FCY boards are displaced, which may be before yellow flags are waved. Cars must proceed at a constant speed in single file.

Speeds will be monitored and any car exceeding the given speed will be reported to the Stewards and a penalty may be imposed.

The pit lane entry and exit will remain open but the pit entry and pit exit will be subject to a maximum speed of 80 km/h. Cars entering the pit lane may overtake cars that are on the track once they cross Safety Car Line 1, subject to the speed restriction above. Cars exiting the pit lane may be overtaken by other cars on track until they reach Safety Car Line 2.

Once the problem is resolved, the track will return to Green and the information will be given on the monitors and Team radio. Alternatively, should the problem not be resolved, the Safety Car may be deployed according to Article 46.5 and 46.6.

46.5. Safety Car

The Race Director will call for a Safety Car intervention whenever circuit vehicles are on the track, when cars need to be guided to avoid workers, when barriers are damaged, medical intervention is needed or other situations where it is deemed necessary.

46.6. Safety Car intervention after FCY

At the start of any Incident which may need the Safety Car to be deployed, a Full Course Yellow period may be declared before the Safety Car is deployed. In this case, the Safety Car will join the track, with its lights off, and will overtake the cars on track until it reaches the leader. It will then switch on its lights, and the SC boards will be shown. From this point onwards it will proceed according to Article 46.7

46.7. Safety Car Procedure

Safety Car Procedure (in accordance with Appendix H of the ISC, article 2.10)

When the order is given to deploy the safety car, all marshal posts will display waved yellow flags and "SC" boards and the orange lights at the Line will be illuminated, for the duration of the intervention.

The safety car will start from its designated location with its orange lights illuminated and will join the track regardless of where the race leader is.

All the competing cars must then form up in line behind the safety car no more than five car lengths apart, and overtaking, with the following exceptions, is forbidden until the cars reach the Line (or the next race neutralisation end point) after the safety car has returned to the pits.

Overtaking will be permitted under the following circumstances:

  • if a car is signalled to do so from the safety car;

  • any car entering the pits may pass another car or the safety car after it has crossed the first safety car line;

  • any car leaving the pits may be overtaken by another car on the track before it crosses the second safety car line;

  • when the safety car is returning to the pits or its intermediate position, it may be overtaken by cars on the track once it has crossed the safety car line;

  • any car stopping in its designated garage area whilst the safety car is using the pit lane may be overtaken;

  • if any car slows with an obvious problem.

Any car being driven unnecessarily slowly, erratically or in a manner deemed potentially dangerous to other drivers at any time whilst the safety car is deployed will be reported to the stewards. This will apply whether any such car is being driven on the track, the pit entry the pit lane or the pit exit.

When ordered to do so by the Race Director or, in his absence, the Clerk of the Course, the observer in the safety 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.

The safety car shall be used at least until the car in the lead is behind it and all remaining cars are lined up behind the leader. Once behind the safety car, the race leader must keep within 5 car lengths of it and all remaining cars must keep the formation as tight as possible.

However, due to pit stops during the procedure, the Race Director may decide to restart without having all cars lined up behind the Safety Car.

While the safety car is in operation, competing cars may enter the pit lane, but may only rejoin the track when the green light at the end of the pit lane is on. It will be on at all times except when the safety car and the line of cars following it are about to pass or are passing the pit exit.

A car rejoining the track must proceed at an appropriate speed until it reaches the end of the line of cars behind the safety car.

Under certain circumstances, the Race Director or, in his absence, the Clerk of the Course may ask the safety car to use the pit lane. In this case, and provided its orange lights remain illuminated, all cars must follow it into the pit lane without overtaking. Any car entering the pit lane under these circumstances may stop at its designated garage area.

When the Race Director (or his Deputy or the Clerk of the Course in his absence) calls in the safety car, its orange lights will be extinguished; this will be the signal that it will be entering the pit lane at the end of that lap. At the moment the safety car switches OFF it's lights, the yellow flags and SC boards (lights) at the marshal posts will be withdrawn. At this point, the first car in line behind the safety car may dictate the pace and, if necessary, fall more than five 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 extinguished, drivers must proceed at a pace which involves no erratic acceleration, braking, or any other manoeuvre which is likely to endanger other drivers or impede the restart. As the safety car is in the pit entry, waved green flags with green lights will be shown at the Line only. These will be displayed until the last car crosses the Line.

The Race Director will specify, during the Briefing, the location at which the Safety Car lights will be turned off, signifying the end of the safety car procedure. In the event that the Safety Car lights appear to be extinguished prior to this location, cars are required to remain within the safety car procedure regulations until confirmation is given that the safety car will be 'in this lap' on the radio and/or timing screens.

Each lap completed while the safety car is deployed will be counted as a race lap.

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 chequered flag as normal without overtaking.

46.8. Starting the race behind the Safety Car

In exceptional circumstances, the race may be started behind the safety car. In this case, at any time before the one-minute signal, its orange lights will be turned on. This is the signal to the drivers that the race will be started behind the safety car. When the green lights are illuminated, the safety car will leave the grid with all cars following in grid order no more than 5 car lengths apart. There will be no formation lap and the race will start when the green lights are illuminated.

If the Race Director determines that the race should start behind the Safety Car, the start procedure and countdown may be adjusted to ensure that, as far as is practicably possible, the green lights and, therefore, the race start, will be at the time scheduled in the Official Timetable for the Event.

Overtaking, during the first lap only, is permitted if a car is delayed when leaving its grid position 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.

Soon after the last car in line behind the safety car passes the end of the pit lane, the pit exit light will turn green; any car in the pit lane may then enter the track and join the line of cars behind the safety car.

Any driver who is delayed leaving the grid may not overtake another moving car if he was stationary after the remainder of the cars had crossed the Line, and must form up at the back of the line of cars behind the safety car. If more than one driver is affected, they must form up at the back of the field in the order in which they left the grid. A penalty will be imposed on any driver who, in the opinion of the Stewards, unnecessarily overtook another car during the first lap.

A safety car may be used as the Official Leading Car for a rolling start; in this case, the regulations governing the start will apply to it until it resumes its Safety Car function after the start has been given.