F1: Communication clampdown extended to pit boards

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The FIA has told Formula 1 teams that the ban on advice being given to drivers will also extend to pit boards from this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix.

Following a clampdown on team radio conversation that was announced last week, the governing body has now clarified with teams exactly what is and is not allowed.

In a lengthy note that was sent to teams on Monday, and then published by the FIA, it made clear the areas of car settings that drivers would now have to deal with themselves. It was also pointed out that teams would not be allowed to get around the radio ban by displaying information on the pit board instead.

However, some leeway has been given until the Japanese GP for teams to get better fail-safe systems in place so that drivers can cope with areas like tire pressure, brake wear and gearbox learning without safety or reliability being compromised.

Further discussions with teams are expected to take place ahead of the Singapore GP for the teams and the FIA to clear up any outstanding issues.

The dramatic nature of the new interpretation of the rules has already left Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff in no doubt that there will be some controversy as it comes in to force.

"The directive is not yet fully clear and there will inevitably be some controversy, so it will need further clarification as to how much the essential on-track procedures will be affected – particularly before the start of the race," he said.

THE FIA's FULL CLARIFICATION OF TEAM RADIO SITUATIONS

The FIA's note issued to teams made clear what team messages – either through pit boards or radio communications – that are and are not allowed from now on.

Here is the full list:

WHAT IS ALLOWED

- Acknowledgment that a driver message has been heard.
- Lap or sector time detail.
- Lap time detail of a competitor.
- Gaps to a competitor during a practice session or race.
- "Push hard", "push now", "you will be racing xx" or similar.
- Helping with warning of traffic during a practice session or race.
- Giving the gaps between cars in qualifying so as to better position the car for a clear lap.
- Puncture warning.
- Tire choice at the next pit stop.
- Number of laps a competitor has done on a set of tires during a race.
- Tire specification of a competitor.
- Indication of a potential problem with a competitor's car during a race.
- Information concerning a competitors likely race strategy.
- Yellow flags, blue flags, Safety Car deployment or other cautions.

WHAT IS NOT ALLOWED

- Sector time detail of a competitor and where a competitor is faster or slower.
- Adjustment of power unit settings.
- Adjustment of power unit setting to de-rate the systems.
- Adjustment of gearbox settings.
- Learning of gears of the gearbox (will only be enforced from the Japanese GP onward).
- Balancing the SOC [state-of-charge of batteries] or adjusting for performance.
- Information on fuel flow settings (except if requested to do so by race control).
- Information on level of fuel saving needed.
- Information on tire pressures or temperatures (will only be enforced from the Japanese GP onward).
- Information on differential settings.
- Start maps related to clutch position, for race start and pit stops.
- Information on clutch maps or settings, e.g. bite point.
- Burn-outs prior to race starts.
- Information on brake balance or BBW (brake-by-wire) settings.
- Warning on brake wear or temperatures (will only be enforced from the Japanese GP onward).
- Selection of driver default settings (other than in the case of a clearly identified problem with the car).
- Answering a direct question from a driver, such as, "Am I using the right torque map"?
- Any message that appears to be coded.