ALAN BALDWIN
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LONDON, England - Formula 1 has banned from next week's 2014 Singapore GP (September 21) radio communications that help to improve the performance of a car or its driver - a move that could add another twist to the title battle between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.
A technical directive was issued to teams by the governing International Automobile Federation to remind them of the wording of article 20.1 of the 2014 sporting regulations that states:
"The driver must drive the car alone and unaided."
'PIT TO CAR TELEMETRY PROHIBITED'
The federation said no radio conversation from pit to driver may include any information "related to the performance of the car or driver" and also cited article 8.5.2 of the technical regulations stipulating that "pit to car telemetry is prohibited".
The rules apply to all track sessions during a GP weekend and would include warning drivers about fuel consumption and the condition of a car's brakes and tyres.
Information about track traffic and when to make a pit stop would remain permissible, as would team orders regarding overtaking and general messages between the pit and driver.
The change could reward those drivers with a more intuitive style who are good at keeping on top of all the in-car readings.
INCREASE IN RADIO TRAFFIC
The move follows a marked increase in radio traffic so far in the 2014 season since the introduction of V6 turbo hybrid 'power units' and a greater emphasis on fuel saving, tyre management and energy recovery.
Race engineers have increasingly been advising drivers how to gain a track advantage or vital fractions of a second in performance, with Mercedes team mates Rosberg and Hamilton no exceptions.
Retired four-times F1 champion Alain Prost is one of those who has advocated just such a clampdown, telling autosport.com that F1 was sending out, literally, the wrong messages.
Drivers have already said that the cars are easier to drive than previously and Prost added:
"The messages for the public, the spectators, the people watching TV, these messages are very negative, because even if it's not completely true people can think F1 has become something too assisted, easy and controlled by somebody other than the driver."
The counter-argument is that F1 is a team sport, with teams fighting for the Constructors' championship as well as the Drivers' crown.
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2014 F1 season – fresh reports every day.