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How virtual safety cars work in Formula One


The start of the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sakhir Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain on March 5, 2023.

The start of the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sakhir Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain on March 5, 2023.
Photo: NurPhoto / Contributor (beautiful pictures)

After the fatal accident of Jules Bianchi in 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, Formula one developed and introduced a new virtual safety car system next season, helping drivers slow down when cautious without physically speeding cars on the track. This videos from F1 Bear Chain on YouTube explains how the virtual safety car system works in Formula One:

As the name suggests, the virtual safety car is not a real car. Instead, it’s the FIA-determined lap times for each individual track that drivers must follow with caution, similar to how a real safety car would control the speed of a car. racers on the track.

In case you lost it:

Virtual safety auto lap times are about 30% slower than what the FIA ​​considers a standard lap time. The example in the video shows the virtual safety car lap time for the Albert Park Track of 1:54:00, about a third slower than what is considered the standard lap time of 1: 28:00.

However, to maintain distance between drivers, the virtual safety car is forced to reduce speed by 30% through each part of the track, not just the whole. Sections are identified by ordered fields, with 20 post statistics dividing the fields.

The driver’s time is measured in these zones every 50 meters, and the driver is informed how far before or after the virtual safety car’s time so they can make the appropriate adjustments.

Drivers must ensure that they slow down the virtual safety car at least once in each zone, and staying close to the lap time of the virtual safety car is obviously ideal to avoid losing the race position after the scene is over. sense.

The driver must go after the virtual safety car time when the race turns green again and be warned 10 to 15 seconds that the race is about to resume. If a driver fails to outrun the safety vehicle in any area or before the race resumes, they will be penalized.

Virtual safety cars are beneficial because it can instantly slow down the car field, it can be used to maintain a distance between cars in a race without the cars clustering, and it can last as long as you want without any potentially dangerous transitions when the vehicle safely enters or exits the field.

It’s a smart system to ensure that fellow riders, medical staff and cleanup crews are better protected, while at the same time not jeopardizing the drivers’ positions and potentially having a major impact. to the race results.

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