[Rules] Time to scrap the safety car?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by dsg

Keep it closed the whole time.

That's an excellent solution.

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by ensign14

So, there you go. Thanks to the "safety" car in the Hungarian Grand Prix, we have one mechanic with suspected broken ribs, and nearly a holocaust as two cars collide. Because of one very visible bit of debris that could easily have been dealt with under a code 60 or even left.

The piece could possibly have been left....
So is it the fault of the safetycar (?), the safety car rule...? The people in race control? Our society for being ridiculously politically correct, over the top, cannot allow any situation because we may be deemed to be negligent...blah blah?

People made errors of judgement that related to the safety period, but it wasn't the fault of the safety car, or even the rule.

[Nicholosophy]

The reason that people were annoyed about the pits being closed in the past was due to the possibility of running out of fuel. That can't happen anymore, so lets just shut them completely.

The one issue that could happen is if the SC came out near the end of the race and you haven't done your mandatory tyre change. Firstly, get rid of that stupid rule and that's fixed. :P Or more likely, add a time penalty to their final position to account for the pitstop that wasn't done. Perhaps an average of the pit times. (and only used in this situation).

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by dsg

Keep it closed the whole time.

Now that cars don't have to refuel (so don't run out of fuel during the safety car period) it might just work.

Better still if they didn't have to come into the pits to change tyres, but that's for another thread maybe.

[Pingguest]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

That's an excellent solution.

It would add any fairness and teams might just let their drivers to stop from the very first moment the pit lane opens.

[Pingguest]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I haven't seen or come across any alternatives, that keep the pack under control thus guaranteeing the safety of the track marshalls, as they clean up the debris.

Its very simple. As long as drivers don't reduce their speeds during a 'Code 60' or a neutralisation with a minimum lap time, they'll get penalised. Just as happened after this year's European Grand Prix, albeit a bit harsher I propose.

[Adam43]

Ooo, good. More judgements to make, more penalties.
F1 needs more penalties. Bring it on.