FIA moves to clarify important ruling on drivers crossing pit-lane exit line

Jamie Woodhouse 04 Mar 2023 12:45 PM

Carlos Sainz in the middle of a Red Bull sandwich. Monaco May 2022

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz in the middle of a Red Bull sandwich, Sergio Perez leading with Max Verstappen running third. Monaco May 2022

The FIA has updated its International Sporting Code to clear up confusion over crossing the line at the pit exit.

The issue stems back to the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix, where Ferrari launched a post-race protest against Red Bull relating to Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, and their compliance with the rule not to cross the line at the pit exit.

Both drivers, when re-joining the damp track on dry tyres, had moved towards that line as they looked to defend their positions from the Ferrari duo of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.

Verstappen, it turned out, had not fully stayed to one side of that line when he came out of the pit lane, but did not receive any punishment from the FIA, even though the rule was supposed to be that drivers cannot go beyond that line as they come out of the pit lane.

At the time, the relevant section of the International Sporting Code dictated that a driver “must not cross” that line, the stewards interpreting that as Verstappen needing to have put a full wheel over the line to have triggered an offence.

And so, an updated wording for this rule has been signed off by the World Motor Sport Council, which serves to bring clarity, and the update has been communicated to teams and drivers who are in Bahrain for Round 1 of the F1 2023 season.

From now on, it has been made clear that the outer edge of the tyre must not go beyond the pit-exit line.

“For the avoidance of doubt, crossing means that the outside of any tyre should not go beyond the outside, with respect to the pitlane, of the relevant line painted on the track,” the FIA stated.

Verstappen heads into the new campaign as the reigning World Champion and strong favourite to make it three World Championships in a row as he goes into battle at the wheel of the Red Bull RB19.