FIA steps up F1 penalty monitoring

The FIA is set to ramp up its monitoring of Formula 1 pit stops starting with this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix, to prevent teams cutting short any pit stop penalties.

F1's governing body is seeking to alter procedures following complaints from some teams that Toro Rosso appeared to have cut short one of Jean-Eric Vergne's five-second pit stop penalties for exceeding track limits during the Singapore GP.

The FIA intends to ask teams to submit footage of their stops from cameras mounted on the pit box gantries, starting from Suzuka this weekend, in order to help it better monitor the timing of pit stops and prevent repeat offences. Previously, it felt teams would be extra cautious when serving 5s penalties, in order to avoid further sanction.

Starting next season, the FIA intends to ask teams to submit live wheel-speed and suspension-load data to race control during pit stops, to monitor them in real time and ensure no shortcuts when drivers are serving penalties.