F1 drivers asked to keep tear-offs to a minimum

Formula 1 drivers have been asked to minimise the number of visor tear off strips they throw on to the track, after the FIA decided to step back from a total ban on them being discarded.

Ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, motor racing's governing body told teams it would be enforcing a rule that forbid drivers from dropping their visor strips on the circuit.

However, teams were unhappy and in a bid to find time to allow them to work on solutions about where to store the strips in the cockpit, the ban was initially delayed until the Spanish Grand Prix.

After calls to allow them to trial solutions of storing the tear offs in the cockpit or in body pouches in the post-Barcelona test, the clampdown was then delayed until this weekend's Monaco GP.

But after discussions with team managers on Wednesday, concerns were raised about potential problems being caused in the event of a fire - and the strips having the potential to burn through driver overalls.

F1 race director Charlie Whiting discussed the issue with drivers at their briefing in Monaco on Thursday night, and agreed with the view that there was more potential for danger by drivers trying to find places to store the strips than there was about discarded tear-offs getting lodged in parts of the car and causing brake problems.

Whiting has agreed with the drivers that, rather than a total ban, he would like them to keep the number of tear off strips they use to a minimum.

However, he also said that the FIA would not lodge a report against any driver who threw the tear offs on to the track or pit lane - so it is up to them to judge how many strips they need to use during a race.