FIA modifies F1 safety car rules in the aftermath of Abu Dhabi debacle

In what seems like the final change that will be made by the FIA after the F1 Abu Dhabi GP debacle, the safety car rules have seen a slight modification.

The article 55.13, which governed the unlapping of lapped cars under safety car conditions, now reads:

“If the clerk of the course considers it safe to do so, and the message ‘LAPPED CARS MAY NOW OVERTAKE’ has been sent to all competitors using the official messaging system, all cars that have been lapped by the leader will be required to pass the cars on the lead lap and the safety car.”

Earlier, there was a slight difference in how the rule was written as it stated "Any Car" instead of "All Cars". It was this interpretation of the rule by Michael Masi that had infuriated a lot of fans at the Abu Dhabi GP.

In the Abu Dhabi GP, Michael Masi, in a bid to ensure racing on the final lap of the race, allowed only the 5 lapped cars between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton to unlap themselves and not the entire group of lapped cars. The move, although written in the regulations, did not go down well with fans and drivers alike as it left Hamilton exposed to Verstappen, who was on fresher tires.

The action taken by Michael Masi on the last lap of the Abu Dhabi GP was one of the reasons behind him getting replaced as the race director and the raft of changes introduced by the FIA.

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F1 to feature two race directors for 2022 season

One of the moves that was made after the Abu Dhabi debacle was the appointment of two race directors instead of one, who would operate on a rotational basis. The damage to the sport's reputation, caused by the last race of the 2021 F1 season, has still not been repaired completely and it might take a few races for the fans to move on from what happened last season.

Having said that, the 2022 F1 season should offer new storylines and the on-track action might just be what is needed for the fans to move on from Abu Dhabi 2021.