F1 Drivers Subject to Bike-Ban on Track
FIA bans all form of two-wheeled transportation on track, as if it was the only problem left in perfecting the organization.
The sub-heading speaks for itself. A regulation has been put in place prohibiting F1 racers from utilizing bicycles or scooters when doing their customary track walk prior to the race. Although the name ‘track walk’ implies on-foot exploration, it wasn’t the case for the drivers up until this week’s decision to ban all two-wheelers.
What is a track walk?
On Thursdays, drivers and their engineers typically go on a track walk around the circuit to discuss any changes or difficulties that may arise over the weekend. This is officially part of the Grand Prix’s agenda and is a designated time for drivers to explore the area. In the past, some have chosen to ride bikes or scooters as they walked; however, with higher numbers of people out on the track from F1’s other events, this has been prohibited.
F1 track walk is important for drivers and their strategy because it allows them to get a feel of the track, observe any areas that may be tricky or need extra caution, and plan their race strategy accordingly. During the walk, the driver gets to understand the layout of the track and any potential hazards. This helps them to identify where they can overtake other drivers, plan their braking points and decide on which lines are best for taking each corner. It also gives them an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the track before practice sessions begin.
Although the circuits in the calendar have been almost the same for many years now, track walks were still an integral part of the agenda for the teams in order to go over the changes on the track or just to refresh their memories of the track.
Bike-ban starts this weekend
FIA strikes once again with one of many startling regulations of theirs. The statement that came from FIA and FOM (Formula One Management) goes as follows, “To clarify and to avoid future misunderstanding, the use of any means of transport (bicycles, e-bikes, scooters, e-scooters, etc) is forbidden during the time window stated as ‘Team Track Walks’ on the Event Timetable. No exceptions will be allowed. This decision has been agreed with the FIA.” This rule will be effective at every race event onwards, starting from the Saudi Arabian GP.
The first question that comes to mind is “Why?” and honestly, there is no solid reason provided by neither FIA or FOM that goes beyond “the tracks get too busy with bikes allowed.”
When you think about it, using bikes on track can be dangerous for drivers and riders alike, as the speed of the bikes is much higher than that of a pedestrian, making it difficult for drivers to anticipate the movements of riders and allowing bikes do increase the number of people on the track. However, it still doesn’t explain why we should be so concerned about the number of people on the track, especially because we haven’t seen any accidents or damage to trackside equipment during ‘track walk-rides’.
Both the fans and drivers are displeased
As the FIA withholds the reason behind their decision, they left the stage to all the meme-makers of the F1 community. People already made comments such as, “Lance falls off his bike once, and Lawrence successfully lobbied to ban all bikes on track?”
Many drivers were also quick to state their discontent about the statement, Charles Leclerc being one of the first to speak about it. When asked by Motorsport.com, he said that he was doing his track walks on wheels. “As they’ve just issued a new thing where we cannot go around the track with a bicycle you probably won’t see me around the track anymore, and I’ll just watch the videos!”, he added. Needless to say, he has a point! The average length of an F1 race track is around 5,5 km which would take up 2 hours or more to walk around, going through the necessary analysis and discussion with other team members.
The news feeds the concerns about FIA being focused on the wrong things when it comes to improving the sport. While they could have taken solid steps towards their sustainability strategy or payed attention to all the feedback from fans and teams, they are bothered by harmless two-wheeled toys instead. In the upcoming weeks, we will see how this new regulation will affect the strategy or track-recognition of the drivers and whether it will have a significant effect.
