F1 drivers banned from overtaking in pit exit tunnel during qualifying

FIA Formula 1 race director Niels Wittich has prohibited all drivers from overtaking rivals along the pit exit road at Yas Marina during qualifying.

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In updated official guidelines issued ahead of final practice on Saturday morning, Wittich explicitly prohibited all drivers from overtaking from the white line which marks the end of the pit lane to the second Safety Car line that marks the blend point onto the race track.

The move comes following an situation in the second practice session on Friday when world champion Max Verstappen passed rivals who were exiting the pit lane slower than typical racing speed.

Following the second red flag delay triggered by Nico Hulkenberg’s crash at turn one, Verstappen exited the pit lane after the session resumed near the back of the long queue of cars behind the two Mercedes of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. Eager to join the track with just 15 minutes remaining in the session, Verstappen drove around the outside of both Mercedes into the left hand underground turn at the pit exit before driving around Esteban Ocon’s Alpine up the hill to join the race track.

“I’m getting blocked,” Verstappen insisted over team radio.

The phenomenon of drivers slowing at pit exit to generate a gap to cars ahead before joining the race track has developed in the second half of the 2023 season after the introduction of a maximum lap time limit in qualifying. The measure was brought in at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza to attempt to reduce instances of drivers slowing dangerously at the end of a lap to create a space to begin their flying laps in qualifying.

There are typically no rules forbidding drivers from overtaking along the pit entry or pit exit outside of the two white lines that denote the pit lane where the pit lane speed limit is in effect at all times. During the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos earlier this month, another venue which has a long and winding pit lane exit, drivers were told to leave space to allow rivals to overtake them if they needed to.

But for this weekend’s qualifying session, drivers have been forbidden from overtaking at any point in the pit exit road “unless a car slows with an obvious problem.”

Speaking after practice on Friday, Verstappen insisted that his rivals were in the wrong by not exiting the pits at racing speed.

“They have to move,” he said. “They’re all driving slow and I want to go out because we are all limited on time but they just keep on driving in the middle.

“Then when I tried to pass they tried to squeeze me in the wall. So yeah, a bit silly.”

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13 comments on “F1 drivers banned from overtaking in pit exit tunnel during qualifying”

S
25th November 2023, 9:58

F1 never has any trouble making itself look amateur and embarrassing, does it…
Tragic.

Jere (@jerejj)
25th November 2023, 10:10

How surprising & they should’ve added this clarification already in Brazil with a similarly long exit route.
I wonder if they’ll also prohibit overtaking on the entry routes such as the one in China.

cdfemke (@cdfemke)
25th November 2023, 11:48
In brazil they were supposed to overtake in the exit. It was mandatory for drivers to keep left if they decided to go slow, and quicker cars to overtake on the right, as per racing directors instructions.
I guess the definition on ‘going slow’ was not clarified as a lot of them just stayed in the middle, making overtaking difficult or even dangerous
Simon (@donsimoni)
25th November 2023, 11:52
Vettel tused the entrance in China to overtake during the race when two others went slow. Track is track, either go quick or move to the side, I say.

Zann (@zann)
25th November 2023, 10:14

i hope poor Max doesn’t get slowed up again then, that would be terrible, and not fair whatsoever!

MadMax (@madmax)
25th November 2023, 10:54

Rules refined so even drivers without manners need to behave

Sham (@sham)
25th November 2023, 13:11
It always disappoints me when we need new rules because one person lacks common sense.
The clarification of the rules of engagement, the no stopping in the fast lane of the pit lane, and now the no overtaking in the pit lane.
Something in common here… And it isn’t decency or sense.

Billy Rae Flop
25th November 2023, 11:44

Limited on time but was passed by cars on he outlap that he had passed in the pit exit lol. Very possible that it was more likely partially tyre warm up related and partially impatience. If they need time then send the car out sooner to avoid the que

RatSack
25th November 2023, 11:44

I agree that there should be no overtaking in the pit exit road, but their needs to be some kind of crack down on drivers strategically blocking or just being slow when exiting the pit lane (maybe some kind of minimum speed limit which applies unless there is a hazard/blockage/red pit exit light). Its been happening too often lately and is that really the type of competition anyone is looking to watch. If a driver needs to build a gap to the car in front than that should be done on track. The pit lane exists for servicing cars and no one should be racing there or using it for gamesmanship beyond pit strategy.