May 15 (GMM) The FIA has told drivers to keep driving quickly when they are not on flying laps this weekend in Monaco.
The news is reportedly a response to fears the 24-car field, including six very slow cars, will lead to traffic chaos in the initial 20-minute Q1 qualifying session.
Brazil’s Globo reports that the FIA has based the new maximum warm-up and slow-down laptime on the pace of the struggling HRTs.
Drivers will have to travel between the first and last corner no slower than 1 minute 22 seconds – about 7 seconds off the ultimate pace this weekend – to avoid stewards penalties.
However, 1982 world champion Keke Rosberg has admitted a lack of patience with all the complaining about likely qualifying traffic this weekend.
“Gimme a break!” he is quoted as saying by The Independent.
“There used to be 26 drivers out there in the old days, and half of them were slow, not just half a dozen!”
