The FIA has decided to suspend the Formula One curfew rules for Wednesday and Thursday ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne after travel and freight disruptions affected several teams, Idman.Biz reports.
According to RaceFans, race director Rui Marques informed teams that restrictions on staff working hours would not apply on those days due to transport problems linked to the escalation of tensions in the Middle East.
Under normal regulations, Formula One teams must observe strict curfews limiting the number of hours certain personnel can work at the circuit. The rules apply to 60 members of “operational staff” and a further 16 “support staff”, typically restricting activity to defined overnight periods in order to control costs and prevent excessive workloads.
However, the FIA said that force majeure circumstances had made it necessary to relax the regulations ahead of the race weekend. “Due to ongoing disruptions to flights and freight deliveries during preparations for the Australian Grand Prix, the provisions of articles B9.5.1a and B9.5.1b will not be applied for this event,” the governing body said in an official notice.
Several teams, including Ferrari and Racing Bulls, were reported to have experienced significant logistical delays in transporting equipment to Melbourne.
The usual curfew between the second and third practice sessions on Saturday will remain in place, although teams are allowed a limited number of exemptions under the rules.
