F1's new 2024 overtaking rules explained

Time and time again in recent years it's felt like frustrating inconsistencies have meant you the fans, us the media, them the drivers and even F1 officials don't actually know what's allowed or not in wheel-to-wheel racing.

There's little worse in F1 than when you watch a great battle with two or more cars, things get a bit sketchy, and you just have no idea if it’s going to result in a penalty.

Whether it's overtaking on the inside or outside, lunging from far back, defending too aggressively - we've seen everything from hard but fair racing being punished to lairy over the top moves getting overlooked.

Something has changed this year to try to stop that - but you might not have noticed because it doesn't seem to have been published anywhere.

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[Spartan]

Alonsos 3 penalty points while Stroll got 2 is an absolute YOKE!

[jivewig]

Alonso getting 3 penalty points for that accidental collision with Sainz from being on edge and Stroll getting only 2 after ramming a driver due to unawareness and still not admitting fault is the epitome of MaFIA.

Also where’s the penalty for FIA for not calling Safety car when Bottas was out of his car on the runoff area?

[alexmckeown]

Since Charles passing, F1's rules have been so inconsistent. Need someone like him back.

[wolfhead]

"Different officials will have different opinions" is exactly the problem and has been for a number of years. If you have a rule, it should either be so solid there can be no interpretation, or if it is open to interpretation then you should have the same officials at all races which should mean their interpretation would be more consistent.

Also, as others have said, 3 points for Alonso for an over ambitious but truly racing move, yet only 2 for Stroll for a move born from paying zero attention to the cars around him and what amounts to reckless driving, is ridiculous and illustrates where the rules, if they are being applied fairly, are themselves at fault.

[justinwitt]

The idea that you do not have to leave space for the outside and can just run someone into the wall has completely ruined the racing for me one of the reasons i love running my own online servers is that I can set the rules being if a car is along side going into the corner (any wheel overlap) then you have to leave room no matter what side you are on you are entitled to room. The battles are much longer, more fair, and more fun to both participate in and watch because it means more wheel to wheel racing.

[nirmaljoseph]

I don't understand why it is so difficult to find someone like Charlie Whiting (No disrespect to Charlie). His decisions were almost always correct and there wasn't a rulebook that needed to be referred for a slightly tough battle. Additionally, there was a lotta respect for him by the drivers. Surely there must be someone with a lotta racing experience to do that. Also, did anyone notice the amount of time the FIA took to deploy a vsc for Bottas' stranded car ? That was an absolute joke !! It felt so dangerous and nothing was done for almost an entire lap.

[gallosai]

Alonso's gonna take another 3 points penalty just cuz he watched this vid

[big_chazza]

Fun fact: in the first race of Formula One in 1950 at Silverstone, cars were required to obey the right hand rule, and that they could only overtake on the left hand side of the track.

[ISwearDownOnMeNansGrave]

I prefer Alonso "all the time you must leave a space" approach.

[detmer]

In the meantime Lance Stroll plays bumper cars ... 😂😂😂

[chineseredneck]

"apex" depends on the line you take in the turn. One car's apex may not be the same apex for the other car

[pavarottiaardvark]

These sorts of guidelines CAN work. Look at how neatly we ended the brief era of 'driver in second place hassling the lead driver during a safety car restart'

[darikdatta]

Racing for lawyers. It's like watching CourtTV.

[bubarowe]

As a club racer in the UK for 16 years it amuses me when there is this discussion over track limits and overtaking guidelines. This is stuff we have had to adhere to for years. In fact our regulations are MUCH more harsh. We are not allowed to put even one wheel over the white lines and must allow space for the other car if they are along side AT ALL. Professional drivers who are "the best in the world" whinge like hell and seem incapable of achieving even half of what we are required to do.

[mikelewis]

I like that idea at the end. Just get rid of the whole thing. If it's clear by the eye test that a move was malicious or extremely optimistic/dangerous then a harsh penalty should be given (stop go penalty or dsq... Race ban... Etc). But otherwise don't try to assign fault to every time sometimes front wing gets clipped. You can punish the 2012 Spa incidents without having to nit pick every single overtake

[micglou]

Man... there is too much rules concerning overtakes... as long as space is given and drivers don't display dangerous or idiotic moves, stewards should stay out of wheel to wheel racing. Everything else is a risk the driver takes and need to suffer the consequences... all race incidents. For example, how Alonso got penalized in Australia is still beyond me, Russell was sleeping. Also, if a driver isn't able to shut the door before the corner, they should always expect a driver will try to overtake, away with that BS rule need to be fully alongside with front axles... overtaker having the front axle alongside rear axle should be enough to leave space.

[kobi]

F1 should ditch all those convoluted rules and just appoint one guy who makes a decision. It would at least be more consistent that what we have now.

[DavidJohnson-dclu]

These silly rules have come in because of Max, he was either moving in the braking zone or bombing it down the track to get his car alongside another car or leaving no room whatsoever, there was no real confusion before Max. Now all drivers (behind Max) are feeling the confusion since Masi's inconsistencies and inability to judge a race.

[thatautomotiveblog]

Alonso getting penalized back to back is criminal and shameful. It's almost like the FIA is trying to push him away.

[FGuy-Guy]

Since AD21 when the FIA decided the championship instead of leaving it to the drivers, so many people are put off by how the FiA conduct themselves.