FIA Rubber Stamps Virtual Safety Car Rules

While Jules Bianchi continues his long road to recovery in a French hospital the FIA have confirmed the details of the Virtual Safety Car procedure introduced in the wake of his accident at last October's Japanese Grand Prix.

Trials of the new system took place at the end of last season and the teams and drivers now know exactly how they must act in the event that the Race Director decides that a VSC makes more sense than a full Safety Car intervention.

The VSC will normally be used when double waved yellow flags are needed on any section of track and competitors or officials may be in danger, but the circumstances are not such as to warrant use of the safety car itself.

When the order is given to initiate the VSC procedure a 'VSC DEPLOYED' message will be displayed on the official messaging system and all FIA light panels around the circuit will display “VSC”.

No car may enter the pits whilst the VSC procedure is in use unless it is for the purpose of

changing tyres. All competing cars must reduce speed and stay above the minimum time set by the FIA ECU at least once in each marshalling sector (a marshalling sector is defined as the section of track between each of the FIA light panels).

All cars must also be above this minimum time when the FIA light panels change to green.