FIA issued new driving guidelines ahead of 2022 Formula 1 season: Report

The governing body of mototsports, FIA, had issued new driving guidelines ahead of the 2022 Formula 1 season. The move is a part of a series of changes the sport is making in the wake of the Abu Dhabi GP controversey last year that robbed Lewis Hamilton of his eighth world championship title. 

Also read: Lewis Hamilton lauds Formula 1 for calling Abu Dhabi fiasco a ‘human error’

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen were involved in several incidents throughout the 2021 season. They collided in Silverstone, Monza, Interlagos and Jeddah. To learn from the mistakes, the teams were given new set of guidelines, which BBC Sport claims, it has seen them. 

As per BBC Sport, the FIA guidelines said that when a driver is being overtaken they must give “sufficient room to an overtaking car” if “a significant portion” is alongside.

Also read: Formula 1: What did we learn from Bahrain GP?

While the rules don’t define what a ‘significant portion’ is, they say that “among the various factors that will be looked at by the stewards… they will consider if the overtaking car’s front tyres are alongside the other car by no later than the apex of the corner”.

The rules also apply to overtaking on the outside. 

“The car being overtaken must be capable of making the corner while remaining within the limits of the track,” the FIA said. 

The governing body further clarified that “more than one change of direction to defend a position is not permitted.”

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“Any driver moving back towards the racing line, having earlier defended his position off-line, should leave at least one car’s width between his own car and the edge of the track on the approach to the corner. However, manoeuvres liable to hinder other drivers, such as deliberate crowding of a car beyond the edge of the track or any other abnormal change of direction, are strictly prohibited. Any driver who appears guilty of any of the above offences will be reported to the stewards,” The report read, as per BBC Sport. 

The FIA added that “if a driver short-cuts a chicane or a corner, it is their responsibility to clearly give back the advantage gained.”