FIA F1 introduces new circuit map to reduce security car intervention

FIA has added a new circuit map to the Japanese Grand Prix, in which the Formula 1 drivers have learned by autosport to reduce the need for security car intervention after the need to release their cars on the track.

After an intense analysis of the deployment of the security car during the 2024 season, the FIA ​​concluded that there was a surprising amount of examples where the car could be avoided by stopping a security car by stopping the car where it could be recovered without sending a vehicle on the track. In these cases, a security car was sent to the track, until,, yellow flags or a virtual security car would have been sufficient.

In a bid to solve the issue, the FIA ​​has added a new circuit map to its event notes, distributed to all F1 teams before the start of each race weekend. This new map was first used in China and now added to official documents in the Japanese Grand Prix later this week.

The FIA ​​was already informing the teams during the briefing of the drivers, who was briefing about the best places to stop their cars in case of less important issues – for example, when a technical problem is suspected.

The main reason for communicating this information is to highlight the areas where recovery can be handled quickly, so the session may start as soon as possible and allow teams to keep a car back in their garage soon, which is especially important during practice sessions.

Along with the track, places with sufficient gaps to push through a car are also marked with fluorescent orange color on obstacles.

In addition to showing whether a car should be closed to the left hand or right of the track in the event of an issue, the map also has an amazing mark signal indication to indicate the optimal stopping spots in the map. These are places where there is a huge enough difference in obstruction and adequate martials to allow for a quick recovery – potentially eliminating the need for a safety car.

There is also a plan to integrate this information in the software used by teams on Pitwall. Autosport understands that the required software updates will be implemented within the next few races.