FIA hatch plan for Miami GP suspension after rescheduling race | F1 | Sport

The FIA have put together a contingency plan in case the Miami Grand Prix is suspended due to torrid weather conditions. Sunday’s event at the Miami International Autodrome was initially scheduled for 9pm BST but has now been brought forward by three hours.

However, due to a risk of thunder and lightning in the locality, officials have made the decision to bring it forward to 6pm BST after extensive talks. According to the BBC’s weather forecast, thundery showers and a gentle breeze are forecast at the time that the race gets underway, with conditions settling on Wednesday, May 6. Local laws stipulate that the race could be suspended should a lightning strike land in or around the circuit and all personell would need to “shelter in place.”

And as a result, the FIA have released a series of protocols to determine how such shelter would be administered at various points of the event. In the event that lightning is present during the grid line-up, the FIA report states: “Should it be necessary to enact such ‘shelter in place’ procedures whilst all cars are on the grid during the race starting procedure the following process shall apply.

“The start will be delayed in accordance with Article B5.14.1 of the FIA F1 Regulations. Teams will be informed using the official messaging system that all cars, on the grid or at the end of the pit lane, must be pushed from their location and returned to the teams’ Designated Garage Area.

“Garage doors must remain open until otherwise instructed. All Team personnel must leave the signalling area. Once the Race Director is satisfied it is safe to resume the starting procedure, Teams will be informed using the official messaging system that cars must be pushed from their Designated Garage Area and returned to their allocated grid positions.

“Cars that were returned to their Designated Garage Area from the end of the Pit Lane may be pushed back to the end of the Pit Lane and must line up in the order they were in when the delayed start was announced. At this time, Team personnel will be allowed to return to the signalling area, in accordance with Article B1.5.8. When all cars have been returned to the grid, or to the end of the pit lane, the starting procedure will begin again at the ten (10) minute signal.”

If lightning emerges during the race, meanwhile, the FIA statement adds: “The Race will be suspended in accordance with Article B14.2 of the FIA F1 Regulations, all cars must return to the pit lane and stop in the fast lane as described in Article B5.14.2b. Once all cars have returned to the pit lane, Teams will be informed using the official messaging system that cars must be pushed from the fast lane and returned to the teams’ garages.

“Garage doors must remain open until otherwise instructed. All Team personnel must leave the signalling area. For the avoidance of doubt, any car which was in their garage at the time the race was suspended, or that is moved from the fast lane to any other part of the pit lane without or prior to such instruction being given will be arranged at the back of the line of cars before the resumption in accordance with Article B5.15.1b or B5.14.4c respectively.

“Whilst the cars are in the teams’ garage the provisions of Article B5.14.4 shall apply. For the avoidance of doubt, cars may be worked on once they have stopped in the fast lane, whilst they are positioned in the teams’ garage, or once they have returned to the fast lane prior to the resumption, but any such work is restricted to that listed in Articles B5.14.4a (i to x) and must not impede the resumption of the Race.

“Once the Race Director is satisfied it is safe to resume the race, and no less than twenty (20) minutes prior to the expected re-start time, the re-start order will be published. At such time Team personnel will be allowed to return to the signalling area, in accordance with Article B1.5.8.

“Under the direct supervision and instruction of the FIA Technical Delegate or their representative: Each Team will be instructed, in turn, to push their car(s) into the fast lane such that cars may be arranged in the fast lane in accordance with the published re-start order.

“Once all cars included in the re-start order are arranged in the fast lane, any car not included in the re-start order will be released from their garage and may line up at the back of the queue of cars in the fast lane in the order they get there. Once all cars are arranged in the fast lane or have been given the opportunity to join the back of the queue in the fast lane, the resumption time will be announced using the official messaging system.

“In all cases at least ten (10) minutes warning will be given. From this point, the Race will be resumed in accordance with Article B5.15.2 of the FIA F1 Regulations.”