Teams and drivers have been warned ahead of the Australian Grand Prix that the FIA will now be enforcing their rule that prohibits visor tear-offs from being thrown on the track. This is an existing rule in all open wheel racing, but it had not been penalized in Formula One.
The rule exists as Chapter 3 Article 1.2 of the FIA International Sporting Code. Drivers will not able allowed to throw the tear-offs on any part of the track, including the pit lane. This means that drivers now have two options: keep the tear-off inside of the cockpit or remove the tear-off during a pit stop and hand it to a crew member before leaving.
Tear-offs are thin pieces of plastic that are stuck to the visor before the race. Throughout the race, the visor may become dirty and prevent the driver from having full visibility, so they remove one of the tear-offs and the visor is clear again. The tear-offs also prevent the visor from being scratched by any small pieces of debris that may strike the visor.
Throwing tear-offs outside of the car can present a risk to the driver’s car, as well as to competitors’ cars. Sometimes tear-offs can get stuck in a component of the car, like the brake duct or sidepod, and can cause damage. The same situation can happen if a driver picks up another driver’s tear-off that has been left on the track.
There is no official reason as to why the FIA wants to monitor this issue. However, any driver caught throwing a tear-off outside of the car may face a penalty.
