Pit Wall Celebrations

[mark_l]

The FIA WMSC press release dated 16.10.2005

"SAFETY

Team personnel and spectators will be prohibited from climbing on the pit wall debris fence during or after any circuit race."

Does this apply to all circuits that are FIA licenced or FIA events held only.

Could just see a team member from a 750MC event at Donington getting hauled up before the C of C on an FIA rule breach.

[Piglet]

Mark have you got a link to the press release? There's a thread in the F1 forum on the subject of this relating to F1. I would be quite pleased if it applied to all levels of motorsport although who would be able to police it would be a whole different question.

[mark_l]

http://www.fia.com/mediacentre/Press...261005-02.html

It does not come under the F1 section but further down under its own heading of Safety.

[Sheila M]

That's only for FIA races I think - I doubt it will apply to national stuff (unless of course the MSA decided to put the same ruling in the Blue Book!)

[Asp]

Originally Posted by Sheila M

That's only for FIA races I think - I doubt it will apply to national stuff (unless of course the MSA decided to put the same ruling in the Blue Book!)

I still think you should stop people climbing on the catch fencing on the Mallory pit wall, whenever I go there I think it happens far too often...

[Sheila M]

Originally Posted by Asp

I still think you should stop people climbing on the catch fencing on the Mallory pit wall, whenever I go there I think it happens far too often...

Well I would if I could! The problem at Mallory of course is that there are signs saying please don't stand or lean on the barriers but no-one ever sees them because someone is usually standing or leaning on the signs

[Peter Harding]

I think that this practice at any level is unsafe. If its not in the blue book it gets complicated to enforcebut if the marshals tell them to get down and they don't comply, then the team they represent can get "disciplined.

Trouble is getting a balance between safety issues and the need to celebrate. I guess marshals waving ALL their flags at the end of a big race suggests that there is no warning of an incident on the slowing down lap.

Wouldn't want the PC guys getting a foothold in motorsport.

[jim69]

Perhaps they should stop team members smiling being happy and waving.

God forbid anybody should be happy they have had a good result.

Dont forget the drivers, they must not wave or show any emotion having just won a race.

What is the sport comming too.

[Piglet]

I've posted my comments on the F1 thread, I'm not suprised it's being banned - and I'm not sure that it needs to be in the blue book to take effect as the yellow book applies anyway (??? someone - Sheila?). I imagine anyway we'll see it being added to the blue book as otherwise if there is an incident the MSA will get a caning for not having followed the FIA's lead.

In the days when the celebrations were reasonable it was OK - now you get all the hospitality guests running back and forwards across the pit lane, including small children, members of the crew over the top of the fencing and at circuits where there is no debris fencing people balancing on top of concrete walls three inches wide (waving a three foot flag). It is a recipe for disaster and when the sh*t hits the fan, as it will do, don't believe that those injured will take a view and say it was their own fault - they will sue the organisers and anyone else to say that they should have been stopped. If they don't instigate the legal action their insurers will. Unfortunately it's the way of the world now.

How it's policed will be an entirely different matter, I've tried trying to stop these celebrations at Spa where the organisers only wanted "extras" on the wall for the last lap - trying to stop people going across is not fun and to be honest if I wanted to take that much abuse I'd come to work and at least get paid for it! At many (most?) UK meetings there aren't enough pit marshals to man a line along the pit wall and I wouldn't like to be the lone marshal that tried to enforce this or the one named in the court action for not stopping it when I was trying to pull over the winning cars, make sure that the rest went to parc ferme etc. etc. To be sure of this happening I think will require security personnel and these days with the exception of the GP we don't get allocated security for the FIA level meetings in UK.

As i've said on the F1 thread, anyone who's seen how much debris can make it over a wall or over the debris fence at Silverstone would I'm sure recognise that a pit lane, wall and particuarly the fence isn't somewhere that they would want to be if there was a coming together on the pit straight.

For F1 it will spoil the spectacle for the TV viewer but for all other races I think it's a good thing.

[JimW]

I'm sorry that, for once, I have to disagree with Piglet.

This is the sort of which gives "Safety" a bad name.

So instead of helping Pit marshals to control kids running about etc. we stop a perfectly reasonable activity.

How many pit crew have fallen off the pit wall? I can think of about three over many years. How many have got squashed? - none I know of.

Minor problem - grotesque over-reaction.

But what else can one expect from the depths of what was once a sport (F1 that is)?

Regards

Jim

[Piglet]

Originally Posted by JimW

I'm sorry that, for once, I have to disagree with Piglet.

OK Jim, that's it - 15 seconds to toy launching

[Hepatic]

<<Ducks for cover behind the setee where all the loose "ammo" is kept>>

Just to sit on the fence, i think ya both right! It is an over reaction to completly ban everyone, but on some finishs i have seen people leaning right over the wall and climbing the fencing. Teams should have been told to keep their people under control and to ask them to stop, rather than just mandating that no one is allowed. If that didn't work, then they could have introduced a rule but it's just overkill atm...

[Stevespurr]

Which FIA series are the worst offenders? If you keep them in order then it may spread down the line that it isnt a good idea to do it.