FIA introduces rule to prevent repeat of Russell situation at Silverstone

19 October, the FIA published a new version of the regulations for the 2023 Formula 1 season. It includes a number of things that have caused confusion during the current season. One of these is leaving the car during a session, as George Russell did when he saw Guanyu Zhou crash heavily at the British Grand Prix.

FIA introduces abandoned car rule

Russell, who was involved in Zhou's accident, left his car to check if the Alfa Romeo driver was okay. However, he then ran into trouble when he hoped to be allowed to restart after the race was stopped by a red flag. Due to the ensuing discussion, the FIA decided to devote a rule to it so that there can be no more confusion about it.

The new version of the sporting regulations for both 2022 and 2023 states that if a driver leaves his car during a Formula 1 session, it will be considered a withdrawal from the session. No further driving is allowed after this. In the case of a red flag, this rule does not apply.

However, the rule does state that drivers "in exceptional circumstances" may be allowed to re-enter. This applies if the driver has left his car on the track during a suspended session, but on the condition that there is no mechanical problem or damage to the car. The latter would have applied at Silverstone to Russell, who did not emerge unscathed from the crash at the start.