FIA clarify defensive racing in Formula 1

The FIA have clarified defensive racing in Formula 1, after advising the drivers up and down the grid of new stricter guidelines prior to last weekend’s British Grand Prix. This comes after some highly questionable driving earlier on in the year, including Nico Rosberg’s vigorous defending against both Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

This highly questionable piece of driving on Rosberg’s part went unpunished, as the race stewards deemed the German had moved in a continuous manner and that no ‘significant’ part of either Hamilton or Alonso’s cars was alongside the Mercedes of Rosberg. Naturally both Hamilton and Alonso were fuming with Rosberg’s choice of defensive driving, which sparked a debate with the FIA over what the definition of a ‘significant’ part of the car may be.

"Any driver defending his position on a straight and before any braking area may use the full width of the track during his first move provided no significant portion of the car attempting to pass is alongside his.” Read a letter issued to the teams by Charlie Whiting. “Whilst defending in this way the driver may not leave the track without justifiable reason."

"For the avoidance of doubt, if any part of the front wing of the car attempting to pass is alongside the rear wheel of the car in front this will be deemed to be a ’significant portion’." Added Charlie Whiting, the FIA race director.

This ruling was evident during the European Grand Prix, when Bruno Senna was issued a drive-through penalty for supposedly causing the incident between himself and Kamui Kobayashi. The Japanese driver had a ‘significant portion’ of his car alongside Senna’s Williams, when the Brazilian driver turned into the corner and the two collided.

With the ‘significant’ part of the car now clarified by the FIA, it will be interesting to see if incidents reminiscent to Senna and Kobayashi at Valencia still occur. However, with racing exceptionally tight in 2012, avoiding such incidents will be exceedingly difficult.

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