The highest body announced a few weeks ago that it would make modifications so as not to repeat what happened in the resumption of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix safety car, where the drivers who were between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, who played the world championship at all or nothing, they unfolded, but not the rest.
With an investigation in between, which has already ended and in which it is stated that Michael Masi , the race director of that test, acted in “good faith”, the FIA has explained the operation of a new tool that it will use to offer support to the marshals who are on the circuit during the grand prix weekend.
With the two new race directors alternating in charge, Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas, the FIA recognized the need for outside help, and on Saturday, shortly before the celebration of the first qualifying of the 2022 F1 season, they published a Abu Dhabi investigation report.
The statement indicates how this VAR system is being organized, so called in football for its acronym in English, but which remains as ROC in motorsports.
This will be headquartered in Geneva (Switzerland), and its capabilities are: “Procedural and regulatory issues can be referred to the ROC, which works on an advisory basis, and will not disrupt the workflow of the race management team at the circuit , nor will it cause any delay in the decision-making process.”
Although it is similar to the soccer system, the ROC will act as a support resource for the team that is in that grand prize, with data comparable to more than ten simultaneous soccer matches, including more than 140 video and audio sources.
“The ROC provides an additional resource to the FIA to reproduce and thoroughly review aspects of the competition, taken in order to refine and improve procedures for the future. It has no regulating power and cannot be used to re-evaluate or alter past decisions. “.
The FIA also indicates that the ROC “will become a valuable training and educational resource for the next generation of race control personnel and stewards” and that “its benefits will later extend to other championships of the organization and to the wider international community. of the FIA National Sporting Authorities (ASN).
