2. The safety car comes into play during a race when the speed needs to be reduced
for safety reasons such as an accident or because the track is soaked after a
downpour.
According to regulations, the safety car enters “whenever there is an immediate
hazard but the conditions do not require the race to be interrupted”.
History of the Safety Car
The first use of a Safety Car in Formula One is
reported to have taken place at the 1973
Canadian Grand Prix, where a yellow Porsche
914 was called for duty following various
incidents under treacherous weather
conditions.
Controversially, on that occasion, it took several hours after the race to figure out
the winner and final results since the Safety Car driver had placed his car in front
of the wrong competitor thus causing part of the field to be one lap down
incorrectly.
Between 1980 and 1983, the Monaco Grand Prix saw the involvement of a
Lamborghini Countach in this role.
The sport officially introduced Safety Cars in 1993, after trials were conducted at
both the French and British Grands Prix during the preceding 1992 season.
From 2007, new procedures were applied for the first time during the Bahrain
Grand Prix.
Safety Car Procedures
In Formula One or other road racing events if an accident or heavy rain prevents
normal racing from continuing safely, the Race Director or Clerk of Course will call
for the marshalls to wave yellow flags and hold SC boards, warning drivers that
the safety car has been deployed.
3. From 2007, all Formula Cars must have LEDs fitted to
the steering wheel, which inform the driver which
flags are being waved.
A yellow LED is illuminated when the safety car has
been deployed.
The F1 safety car has both orange and green lights mounted on its roof in the
form of a light bar.
The green light allows the driver just behind the safety car to pass.
This is done so as to allow cars between the safety car and the race leader to
overtake the safety car and continue at reduced speed and without overtaking
until they reach the line of cars behind the safety car.
Once the race leader is right behind the safety car, the orange lights go on.
This car is to be operated by a professional driver—currently Bernd Mayländer—
and must maintain a good speed so that the tires on the racecars can stay as close
as possible to operating temperature and at the same time avoid engine
overheating.
The driver of the safety car also has a co-driver.
In Formula One, during the one lap to green, the safety car will have the lights on
until it crosses the last intermediate of the race track and the lights will go out.
That notifies the drivers that they will be racing in a few moments. When
required, the safety car will lead the field around the circuit at reduced speed.
For incidents during the first three laps, the safety car also has an advantage over
the traditional red flag; with a red flag, it would take a minimum of fifteen
minutes to restart the race, and the two-hour limit would not start until the cars
were ready for a second formation lap.
4. With regards to the time limit, the race is being scored and the time is also
counting while the safety car is on the track, and the race resumes.
The Virtual Safety Car
From 2015, the intervention of a physical car is
complemented by a Virtual Safety Car (VSC)
system.
In the aftermath of Bianchi's accident, a new
procedure called Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was
introduced following trials in the last three Grand Prix races of 2014.
The procedure may be initiated when double waved yellow flags are needed on
any section of a circuit where competitors and officials may be in danger, but the
circumstances are not as such to warrant deployment of the actual safety car.
It obliges drivers to reduce their speed to match the one indicated on their
displays on their steering wheels.
New Safety Car for 2015
Since 1996 the official Formula One safety car has been supplied by Mercedes-
Benz and for the 2015 season the German manufacturer's new 510bhp GT S
model replaces the gull-wing SLS AMG that has been used for the past five
seasons.
It is equipped with radio systems, fully integrated iPads and in-car WLAN hotspots
to ensure constant contact with race control throughout a Grand Prix weekend.
Click here to get more information about the safety car.
