FIA appears to clamp down on team celebrations

The FIA has made it clear that teams will not be allowed to climb the fences around the track when celebrating after the race. The event notes by race director Niels Wittich highlight the rule ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.

It is certainly not a new rule. Officially, it has been forbidden since 2006 for teams to climb the fences when celebrating a victory. However, the rule is by no means always observed, nor is it always enforced. It regularly happens that the mechanics and team members of the winning driver exuberantly climb the fences to celebrate their driver's result.

The fact that the rule is given extra emphasis in the notes suggests that the race organisers will be paying closer attention to whether the rule is enforced. Neither the notes nor the regulations record what punishment is attached to breaking this rule. All the regulations say is "A breach of this rule will be reported to the race committee".

Unlikely to face severe consequences for breach

The outcome of the race is unlikely to be affected by a breach of this rule. It is a relatively harmless offence that has virtually no impact on the race result, so a time penalty or points deduction is unlikely. A fine is much more plausible.

It is noteworthy that the race in Australia has been chosen for extra enforcement of the rule. In fact, the Melbourne circuit has no fences around the pitlane at all. Unlike most other circuits, Australia has a barrier of glass so as not to interfere with fans' visibility. It is therefore virtually impossible to climb the circuit's barrier.