Sauber’s turn to override the “curfew” rule
Since the beginning of the 2011 season, the regulations have provided for a "curfew" preventing any team member more or less involved in race operations from approaching the track and the Parc Fermé during a period defined in advance by the FIA. Several teams have already requested exceptions to bypass this curfew. Sauber did so on Friday night.
Friday, after the first day of the Japanese Grand Prix, the engineers and mechanics of the Sauber team requested a waiver to work on the new developments introduced here and tested during the day. A major evolution on the single-seater, the update required additional work from the Swiss team in Suzuka.
The 2011 rule provides for a “curfew” for a defined period of time during all days and all Grand Prix events of the season. In order not to cause too much harm to the teams, the regulation allows for 4 possible exemptions per team. Sauber used this exception on Friday night for the first time this year.
Other teams have also used this exemption to break the rules. Thus, HRT was the first team to work overnight on its car without being penalized. This occurred on March 25 during the start of the season in Australia. The team – just ready – was trying to find better settings.
Since then, the Virgin, Mercedes, and Red Bull teams have been granted an exemption. All three teams worked during the curfew at the Singapore Grand Prix. The curfew was during the day since the Grand Prix takes place there at night. Usually, it’s the nighttime hours that are protected, as is currently the case in Japan, where no one is supposed to approach the paddocks between 11:30 PM and 6:30 AM.
Red Bull already has three exemptions to its name, compared to 2 for Virgin, 1 for Sauber, 1 for Mercedes GP. Finally, Toro Rosso also broke the curfew after its manager Franz Tost arrived too early in the Singapore paddocks…
Note that the FIA has repeatedly revisited decisions regarding Mercedes GP and Red Bull in Singapore. The curfew exception has therefore not yet been made official.
