Scrutineering

Overview

Complete compliance with technical and safety rules for all cars during every moment of an F1 race weekend is checked by a team of FIA-appointed race stewards (scrutineers). The FIA appoints technical delegates who are highly competent and specialise in different areas such as software, crash testing, or compliance. Their main challenge is that they are limited in number and are working against large teams employing some of the best engineers in the world. This does not mean that the teams are attempting to cheat. Rather, a team’s task is to interpret the rules to gain maximum advantage, often using complex reasoning, but never with the intention of actually breaking FIA technical regulations.

Initial Scrutineering

The first check of every car is performed on Thursday (Wednesday at Monaco), and a car cannot compete until it passes this initial scrutineering. If a team makes any significant change to the car, or if the car is involved in an incident, it must be rechecked.

During scrutineering, the car is measured to confirm compliance with technical regulations in all possible details. Wings are checked for size, and load is applied to measure flexing.

FIA scrutineering platform

FIA Technical Regulations on Measurements

2.6 Measurements :

All measurements must be made while the car is stationary on a flat horizontal surface.

**2.7 Duty of Competitor : **

It is the duty of each Competitor to satisfy the FIA technical delegate and the Stewards of the Meeting that his automobile complies with these regulations in their entirety at all times during an Event.

The design of the car, its components and systems shall, with the exception of safety features, demonstrate their compliance with these regulations by means of physical inspection of hardware or materials. No mechanical design may rely upon software inspection as a means of ensuring its compliance.

FIA Sporting Regulations on Scrutineering

**24) SCRUTINEERING

24.1** Between 10.00 and 16.00 three days before the race (four days in Monaco) initial scrutineering of all cars will take place in the garage assigned to each competitor.

24.2 Unless a waiver is granted by the stewards, competitors who do not keep to these time limits will not be allowed to take part in the Event.

24.3 No car may take part in the Event until it has been passed by the scrutineers.

24.4 The scrutineers may :

a) check the eligibility of a car or of a competitor at any time during an Event ;

b) require a car to be dismantled by the competitor to make sure that the conditions of eligibility or conformity are fully satisfied ;

c) require a competitor to pay the reasonable expenses which exercise of the powers mentioned in this Article may entail ;

d) require a competitor to supply them with such parts or samples as they may deem necessary.

24.5 Any car which, after being passed by the scrutineers, is dismantled or modified in a way which might affect its safety or call into question its eligibility, or which is involved in an accident with similar consequences, must be re-presented for scrutineering approval.

Any such re-scrutineering may only take place with the consent of the stewards (following a written request from a competitor) and will be carried out the next morning.

24.6 The race director or the clerk of the course may require that any car involved in an accident be stopped and checked.

24.7 Checks and scrutineering shall be carried out by duly appointed officials who shall also be responsible for the operation of the parc ferme and who alone are authorised to give instructions to the competitors.

24.8 The stewards will publish the findings of the scrutineers each time cars are checked during the Event. These results will not include any specific figure except when a car is found to be in breach of the Technical Regulations.

Weighing Procedures

**26) WEIGHING

26.1** a) During the qualifying practice session cars will be weighed as follows :

1) the FIA will install weighing equipment in the first pit garage (the FIA garage) which will be used for the weighing procedure ;

2) cars taking part in Q1 and Q2 will be selected at random to undergo the weighing procedure ;

3**)** when signalled to do so the driver will proceed directly to the FIA garage and stop his engine;

4) the car will then be weighed with driver and the result given to the driver or a team representative in writing ;

5) At the end of the qualifying session all cars which took part in Q3 will be weighed. If a driver wishes to leave his car before it is weighed he must ask the technical delegate to weigh him in order that this weight may be added to that of the car.

6) if the car is unable to reach the FIA garage under its own power it will be placed under the exclusive control of the marshals who will take the car to be weighed ;

7) a car or driver may not leave the FIA garage without the consent of the FIA technical delegate;

**8) **if a car stops on the circuit and the driver leaves the car, he must go to the FIA garage immediately on his return to the pit lane in order for his weight to be established.

b) After the race every classified car will be weighed. If a driver wishes to leave his car before it is weighed he must ask the technical delegate to weigh him in order that this weight may be added to that of the car.

c) The relevant car may be excluded should its weight be less than that specified in Article 4.1 of the Technical Regulations when weighed under a) or b) above, save where the deficiency in weight results from the accidental loss of a component of the car.

d) No substance may be added to, placed on, or removed from a car after it has been selected for weighing or has finished the race or during the weighing procedure. (Except by a scrutineer when acting in his official capacity).

e) No one other than scrutineers and officials may enter or remain in the FIA garage without the specific permission of the FIA technical delegate.

26.2 In the event of any breach of these provisions for the weighing of cars the stewards may drop the driver such number of grid positions as they consider appropriate or exclude him from the race.