Starting from this weekend’s 2023 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park, no team staff can wave their cars home anymore – putting an end to a tradition which had been around for long.
At a race in Jeddah, three people were seen climbing the fence in celebration after Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso got the top three spots on the podium. These three people are from Red Bull and Aston Martin teams.
In the first Grand Prix race of this season in Bahrain, people from each F1 team were seen climbing up to the top of the fence around the pit area and leaning out over the track. This is a common sight in Formula 1 these days.
At a F1 race in Melbourne, the director released event safety notes. This stated that people were not allowed to climb on top of any fences around the pit area at any time. This is enforced by rules set up by the FIA which are used in all categories of motorsport.
The rule says that people working on cars in the pitlane can only be there right before they start their work and must leave as soon as it’s finished. Additionally, nobody is allowed to climb on the fences surrounding the pits at any time – if someone does, then an official will be told about it.
The rules in Formula 1 have become stricter. If someone from a team does something against the regulations, the stewards (a group of people who volunteer to make sure races are fair) will be asked to decide if there should be any punishment.
It is doubtful that any penalties will change the race result of a winning driver or team, but it can still be difficult for F1 teams now since there are rules about how much they can spend. At the Melbourne race, no one can get into dangerous situations like what happened in Jeddah.
At the fastest car race tracks in the world, fences line each straightaway. These fences are angled so that any parts that fall off or become loose when cars speed around the track will not fly into the pits or soar into the stands full of cheering fans. This same safety precaution is also done on both sides of the track for added protection.
Instead of using metal fencing, Melbourne’s pit straight is lined with thick glass panels. This makes it so that fans can have a better view of what is happening in the pitlane. There are no places to climb, because there aren’t any ‘footholds’ around the area like with metal fencing.
Even though rules have changed, team members are still allowed to stick out of the big spaces in pitwall protection systems and show pitboards with messages to drivers after races. However, this has to stay safe and not go too far.
The FIA (a group of people who control the racing rules) neatly suggested that the teams (racing groups) must not try to climb over fences. This is because it might be dangerous if someone fell on a track where cars are zooming past at really fast speeds sometimes in celebration post-race.
The people in charge have taken steps to make sure that no one can climb up on the pile of rubble near the large walls around the track, since something falling off could be dangerous for racers as they drive past.
