Force India seeks clarification on use of physios

Following discussion about the matter before the start of the season, the FIA deemed that physios would only be included in the 60-staff limit only if they were involved in the operation of the car, which included showing a pit board.

Opinion on the matter was divided among teams, though, with some outfits believing that all physios should be included, while others believed their 60-staff limit should not count them at all.

Ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, Force India has approached the FIA to ask if all physios should be included.

Force India's deputy team principal Bob Fernley said: "This isn't a complaint against what other teams are doing, but just to seek clarification on what we should and should not do."

The governing body has agreed to discuss the matter before the start of Sunday's race.

Speaking about the matter at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, FIA race director Charlie Whiting said: "There was a division of opinion [among teams] over whether a physio should be included, because it became clear that physios did different things for different teams.

"Some physios would literally only look after the driver, pat him on the head when he wanted it, feed him, give him drink, and hold his umbrella. So how could you say that he was involved in the operation of the car?

"But some of them operated a pit board, or fitted tyre blankets. Those sorts of things.

"I felt that the best interpretation was that if a physio was just doing what everyone would think a physio should be doing, and not doing any other tasks, they should not be counted in the 60. Some teams disagree, but we've made our position clear."

An official stance from the race stewards that all physios should be included in the 60-staff limit would mean that those outfits which did not currently count them would have to revise their staffing allocation.