Pit lane entrance, Baku City Circuit, 2022

Second change made to Formula 1’s pit lane entry rules for Azerbaijan GP

2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

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The FIA has made a second change to the pit lane entry rules for this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The pit lane entrance at the Baku City Circuit has been called one of the most dangerous locations on the F1 calendar. F1 cars reach speeds of well over 300kph as they reach the pit lane entrance.

Drivers cross a dashed white line as they enter the pits. FIA F1 race director Niels Wittich issued a rules clarification yesterday starting that “for safety reasons, any driver continuing on the track may not cross that line in any direction.”

In a further update issued ahead of final practice on Saturday morning, Wittich added a further note regarding the solid white line which leads up to the pit lane entrance.

“Any car with all four wheels to the left of the solid white must enter the pit lane, if in the opinion of the stewards, the driver has committed to entering the pit lane, except in cases of force majeure accepted as such by the stewards,” he stated.

Another dashed line precedes this solid white line, which drivers are allowed to cross.

During F1’s first race at the track in 2016 Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen was given a five-second time penalty for crossing the solid white line approaching the pits.

F1’s regulations regarding pit lane entrances can vary from track to track due to differences in their configurations. The rule being used in Baku differs from that seen in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix earlier this year.

During that race at Jeddah Corniche Circuit Max Verstappen complained Charles Leclerc has crossed part of the pit lane entrance line while defending his position. However the drivers’ guidance for the race at Jeddah Corniche Circuit stated only that “drivers must keep to the left of the of the solid white line immediately prior to the
pit entry when they are entering the pits.”

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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5 comments on “Second change made to Formula 1’s pit lane entry rules for Azerbaijan GP”

  1. Isn’t this what Masi was repeatedly criticised for? Changing the rules throughout the weekend…

    Just pick something, tell everyone what it is, and then enforce it hard and fast from that moment on.

    1. I’d say this is just fallout from last weekends’ decision to rule Verstappen (and according to some Perez) didn’t break the pitlane exit rule when he had a partly tyre cross that line really.

      1. Yep. I’d agree with that.

        I just wish they’d stop making specific rules for each track – and indeed for each weekend.
        If the sporting regs aren’t right – fix them. Consistency is underrated.

      2. Spot on. I am starting to like the idea of F1 kicking the FIA into touch. First Masi, and now Sulayem have managed to drag the FIA to wrecking ball levels of destruction. Effective organisation should never be noticed.

        1. I think it’s more the other way around there, @salty.
          F1 are dragging the FIA down with this stuff.

          The FIA don’t have anywhere near the same quantity or consistency in creating issues in any other series that they directly or indirectly have control over.
          In most other series they directly control, there is generally less interference from the participants and commercial aspects.

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