JANUARY 22, 1996

FIA to tighten superlicence rules

THE FIA is planning to introduce new regulations covering the issuing of the Formula 1 Superlicense.

THE FIA is planning to introduce new regulations covering the issuing of the Formula 1 Superlicense. Without a Superlicense a driver cannot race in Grands Prix, but in recent years the regulations have been rather lax, and there have been one or two drivers who barely qualified for the license while others were not allowed to race, although they were clearly capable of having done so.

We hear that the latest proposal is that drivers take a written examination to ensure that they know the rules and regulations of F1.

FIA logic dictates that the sport is dangerous enough without being made more dangerous by the fact that a lot of the drivers involved do not know the rules.

This is not as stupid as it sounds. The majority of F1 drivers do not know the rules and regulations and, as a result, when unusual things happen, they do not know how they should be reacting. They do not know enough about warning flags, the use of the safety car, aborted races and rejoining a race after an incident.

The tests will take the form of a multiple-choice examination which means that the drivers will actually be given the correct answer and merely have to identify it. It is not something which will require enormous intelligence.