Skip to content
Race Director Note PDF

Race Directors Event Notes

Azerbaijan Grand Prix · 2023 · 27 April 2023 · Doc 5

2023 AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX

28 - 30 April 2023

The FIA Formula One Race Director From The FIA Formula One Race Director To All Teams, All Officials Document 5

Date 27 April 2023 Time 12:00 Title Race Director's Event Notes

Description Race Director's Event Notes

Enclosed 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix - Event Notes.pdf

Niels Wittich

1

2023 AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX

28 – 30 April 2023

From The FIA Formula One Race Director Document 5

To All Officials, All Teams Date 27 April 2023 Time 12:00

EVENT NOTES General Instructions

1) 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.

2) 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.

3) 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 and sprint shootout any driver in a double yellow sector will have that lap time cancelled.

4) Laps during Qualifying, Sprint Shootout 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, sprint shootout or during reconnaissance laps when the pit exit is opened for the sprint and 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 free practice session.

5) 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

2 restart".

6) Parc Fermé Cameras

The Parc Fermé cameras must be uncovered and operational at all times during the Event.

7) Lapping during the sprint and the race

The ISC requires drivers who are caught by another car 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.

8) Appendix H, Article 2.3.2

(…) It is forbidden to climb on pit wall debris fence at any time. (…)

9) 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 prerace car display period.

Event Specific Instructions

10) Formula 1 Sporting Regulations Article 23.1

In accordance with the provisions of Article 23.1 b), this Event is an Open Event.

11) 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.

3 12) 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. Competitors are hereby required to ensure compliance with these directives for the safe and orderly conduct of the Event.

13) Support Races team barrier placement and Movements

Team barrier placement prior to and during all support category practice sessions and races: No more than four (4) metres from the garages. 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.

14) Testing of Double Yellow Flag Delta during VSC after Free Practice

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.

15) Positioning of the car on track during Free Practice, Qualifying and Sprint Shootout

To help mitigate any differences in speed, cars on out or slow laps are requested to stay offline where possible between Turns 12 and 15.

16) Practice starts

16.1 Practice starts may be carried out in the pit exit on the LHS after the corner but before the dashed white line across the pit exit. For the avoidance of doubt, this includes any time the pit exit is open for the sprint and the race. 16.2 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). 16.3 Additionally, practice starts may be carried out on the track at the end of the 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. 16.4 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. 16.5 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.

17) Lines at the Pit Entry and Pit Exit

17.1 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.

4

17.2 The dashed white line across pit entry and pit exit marks the track edge line. 17.3 Any car with all four (4) 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.

18) 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 3, 4, 5
  • b) DRS Activation 2: Panels 21, 1, 2

19) Track Limits

19.1 In accordance with the provisions of Article 33.3, the white lines define the track edges. During Qualifying, Sprint Shootout, Sprint 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.

20) Fire extinguishers around the circuit

Indicated by white boards with a red fire extinguisher attached to the debris fences.

21) Places to remove cars from the track

Indicated by fluorescent orange panels/paintings on the barriers.

22) Removing cars from the grid

Through the pit exit or the gate in the pit wall adjacent to the race control tower, garage 16 and 32 .

23) 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.

24) Car number light panels for the start

On the left-hand side of the grid.

25) 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

5 do not cross the teams' garages and access the pit lane before all cars are on the grid or have reached Parc Fermé.

26) Changes to the Circuit

  • New vehicle opening LHS at pit entrance.
  • 2 new vehicle openings on LHS at pit exit.
  • Gate replaced with vehicle opening on RHS at pit exit.
  • At Turn 11 on RHS apex new curved concrete wall element.
  • Vehicle opening at Turn 14 RHS replaced with steel gate.
  • New asphalt paving from Turn 16 to Turn 13.

Niels Wittich

The FIA Formula One Race Director

TracingInsights Logo

Your one-stop home for unparalleled F1 insights

Connect on Socials

TracingInsights and this website are unofficial and are not associated in any way with the Formula 1 companies. F1, FORMULA ONE, FORMULA 1, FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, GRAND PRIX and related marks are trade marks of Formula One Licensing B.V. All product and company names are trademarks™ or registered® trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.

Any product names, logos, brands, and other trademarks or images featured or referred to within the app are the property of their respective trademark holders. These trademark holders are not affiliated with TracingInsights or its contributors. They do not sponsor or endorse TracingInsights or any of our products.

© 2026 TracingInsights ·