Race Directors Event Notes
Australian Grand Prix · 2023 · 30 March 2023 · Doc 4
2023 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
31 March - 02 April 2023
From The FIA Formula One Race Director Document 4
To All Teams, All Officials Date 30 March 2023
Time 11:05
Title Race Director's Event Notes
Description Race Director's Event Notes
Enclosed 2023 Australian Grand Prix - Event Notes.pdf
Niels Wittich
The FIA Formula One Race Director
2023 A G P USTRALIAN RAND RIX
31 March – 02 April 2023
From The FIA Formula One Race Director Document 04
To All Officials, All Teams Date 30 March 2023
Time 11:00
EVENT NOTES General Instructions
- Track light panels
The FIA track light panels have been installed in the positions shown on the circuit map. In
accordance with Appendix H to the ISC the light signals have the same meaning as flag signals.
- Drivers leaving their pit stop position in the pit lane
For safety reasons, no car should be driven from its pit stop position at any time unless:
a) It has first been driven into the pit stop position having just entered the pit lane from the track,
and;
b) It is then driven immediately back onto the track from the pit stop position.
- Observing yellow flags
3.1 Single waved: Drivers reduce their speed and be prepared to change direction. It must be clear that a driver has reduced speed and, in order for this to be clear, a driver would be expected to have
braked earlier and/or discernibly reduced speed in the relevant marshalling sector.
3.2 Double waved: Any driver passing through a double waved yellow marshalling sector must reduce speed significantly and be prepared to change direction or stop. In order for the stewards to be
satisfied that any such driver has complied with these requirements it must be clear that he has not
attempted to set a meaningful lap time. Furthermore, during qualifying any driver in a double yellow
sector will have that lap time cancelled.
- Laps during qualifying and reconnaissance laps
4.1 In order to ensure that cars are not driven unnecessarily slowly on in laps during and after the end of qualifying or during reconnaissance laps when the pit exit is opened for the race, drivers must stay
below the maximum time set by the FIA between the Safety Car lines shown on the pit lane map.
You will be informed of the maximum time after the second free practice session.
- Article 55.14
“In order to avoid the likelihood of accidents before the safety car returns to the pits, from the point
at which the lights on the car are turned out drivers must proceed at a pace which involves no erratic
acceleration or braking nor any manoeuvre which is likely to endanger other drivers or impede the
restart”.
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- Parc Fermé Cameras
The Parc Fermé cameras must be uncovered and operational at all times during the Event.
- Lapping during the race
The ISC requires drivers who are caught by another car about to lap him to allow the faster driver
past at the first available opportunity. The F1 Marshalling System has been developed in order to
ensure that the point at which a driver is shown blue flags is consistent, rather than trusting the ability
of marshals to identify situations that require blue flags.
The system will be set to give a pre-warning when the faster car is within 3.0s of the car about to be
lapped, this should be used by the team of the slower car to warn their driver he is soon going to be
lapped and that allowing the faster car through should be considered a priority. When the faster car
is within 1.2s of the car about to be lapped blue flags will be shown to the slower car (in addition to
blue light panels, blue cockpit lights and a message on the timing monitors) and the driver must allow
the following driver to overtake at the first available opportunity.
It should be noted that the aim of using F1MS is ensure consistent application of the rules, additional
instructions may also be given by race control when necessary.
- Appendix H, Article 2.3.2
(…) It is forbidden to climb on pit wall debris fence at any time. (…)
- Article 19.4
In accordance with the provisions of Article 19.4 a), upon permission given by the Technical
Delegate, it is considered acceptable to connect the umbilical to the cars and close the HV
contactors (TR 5.26.5) for the sole purpose of checking the car ERS safety status, during the pre-
race car display period.
Event Specific Instructions
- Formula 1 Sporting Regulations Article 23.1
In accordance with the provisions of Article 23.1 b), this Event is an Open Event.
- FIA Outside Scales Times
Should the outside scales be set-up at the pit-lane entrance, these will be available for teams to use at any time outside the curfew times and the Parc Fermé cover-up times, except for the 30 minutes preceding the start of the Qualifying session and if there are support competitions using the pit lane.
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- Specific Technical Procedures
Please note that the FIA have introduced an Appendix Index File which contains all the relevant and
active Appendix documents, Technical and Sporting Directives. The latest version of this Index file
(“2023 Formula 1 Appendix – iss 2 – 2023-02-23.xlsx”) and all relevant documents can be found on
the FIA SFTP site.
- Support Races team barrier placement and Movements (for Formula 2 and Formula 3 only)
Team barrier placement prior to and during all support category practice sessions and races:
No more than three (3) metres from the garages. Please make sure that your pit stop gantry arms
are moved back towards garage during all Support Race Activity.
It is not permitted to push cars to the weighing area at any time a support category is in the pit lane.
Support Crews and Trolleys will be released into Pit Lane no earlier than 20 minutes prior to the
opening of Pit Exit for their respective sessions.
Support Category competition vehicles will be released from the marshalling area no earlier than 15
minutes prior to the opening of Pit Exit for their respective sessions.
- Pit Lane Walk and Support Races team barrier placement (except Formula 2 and Formula 3)
Team barrier placement prior to and during all support category practice sessions and races and
during all pit lane walks: On the joint between the asphalt and the concrete.
- Testing of Double Yellow Flag Delta during VSC after Free Practice 1 and 2
After all cars have taken the chequered flag, a Double Yellow Sector will be activated followed by a
preceding Single Yellow Sector. Approximately after 10 seconds VSC will be activated. This will be
active until all cars returned to the pit lane after carrying out their practice starts.
- Positioning of the car on track during Free Practices and Qualifying
To help mitigate any differences in speed, cars on out or slow laps are requested to stay offline
where possible between Turns 10 and 11, and between Turns 12 and 14.
- Practice starts
17.1 Practice starts may only be carried out on the asphalt on the RHS of the fast lane immediately after the pit exit line and, for the avoidance of doubt, this includes any time the pit exit is open for the race.
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17.2 For reasons of safety and sporting equity, cars may not stop in the fast lane at any time the pit exit is open without a justifiable reason (a practice start is not considered a justifiable reason).
17.3 Additionally, practice starts may be carried out on the track at the end of each free practice session. Any car on the track when the chequered flag is shown may then complete another lap and, instead
of entering the pits, proceed to the grid and carry out a practice start.
17.4 All drivers carrying out a practice start must do so by pulling as far forward on the grid as possible and, if necessary, should wait for others to carry out a start before getting to a grid position further
forward. Under no circumstances should a driver make a practice start if another car is still stationary
in front of him on the same side of the grid.
17.5 If any driver appears to be disregarding any of the above a red flag will be displayed and the possibility to carry out any further starts will be immediately terminated.
- Lines at the Pit Entry and Pit Exit
18.1 In accordance with Chapter 4, Article 4 and 6 of Appendix L to the ISC drivers must follow the procedures at pit entry and pit exit.
18.2 The dashed yellow line across pit entry and pit exit marks the track edge line.
- DRS
DRS Detection will be automatically disabled in each individual zone if any of the light panels in that
particular zone are displaying yellow. The zones and corresponding light panels are as follows:
a) DRS Activation 1: Panels 11, 12, 13, 14
b) DRS Activation 2: Panels 15, 16, 17
c) DRS Activation 3: Panels 20, 1, 2
d) DRS Activation 4: Panels 3, 4, 5
- Track Limits
20.1 In accordance with the provisions of Article 33.3, the yellow lines define the track edges. During Qualifying and the Race, each time a driver fails to negotiate with the track limits, this will result in
that lap time being invalidated by the Stewards.
- Fire extinguishers around the circuit
Indicated by white boards with a red fire extinguisher attached to the debris fences.
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- Places to remove cars from the track
Indicated by fluorescent orange panels/paintings on the barriers.
- Removing cars from the grid
Through the pit exit or the gate in the pit wall adjacent to grid positions 10.
- Race Suspension
In case of a race suspension, cars will be stopped in the fast lane of the pits in front of the white
line at the pit exit lights.
- Car number light panels for the start
On the left-hand side of the grid.
- Guest access to the grid
For the start of the race and after the end of the race, teams are responsible to ensure that guests
do not cross the teams’ garages and access the pit lane before all cars are on the grid or have
reached Parc Fermé.
- Changes to the Circuit
• Realignment of TecPro at Turn 2 RHS.
• Realignment of TecPro at Turn 5 LHS.
• New vehicle opening on LHS at MP10.5.
• Realignment of Barriers and Tyre Barriers to maintain 1m height at Turn 11 LHS.
• Levelling of the verge at Turn 13 LHS.
• Pit exit width reduced to 4 m and Pit exit line shortened, ends at SC2 line.
• Reduction of 2 concrete barriers to the end of the separation wall between Support and F1 pit wall.
Niels Wittich
The FIA Formula One Race Director
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