Force India seeks clarification on use of physios
Force India is seeking clarification from the FIA about whether or not physios should be included in Formula 1's staff number limits
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.
Chinese GP technical round-up
Chinese GP: Alonso takes commanding victory for Ferrari
Why the future is bright for the British GP
It wasn’t so long ago the situation looked bleak at Silverstone with the future of the British Grand Prix under threat. But a transformation has seen it restored to one of the most important races on the Formula 1 calendar, with bigger and better to come
Could mixed fortunes for F1's leading Brits turn around at Silverstone?
For the first time in many years, none of the local racers starts among the favourites for the British Grand Prix. But George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris could have reasons for optimism
Verstappen exclusive: Why F1’s champion isn’t fazed by Silverstone return
Max Verstappen is the world’s number one racing driver… and he’s determined to keep it that way. Speaking exclusively to GP Racing's OLEG KARPOV, the Red Bull driver explains why he’s relishing the 2022 championship battle with Charles Leclerc – and why he’s not worried about returning to Silverstone, the scene of the biggest accident of his career last year
Why Red Bull’s RB17 hypercar can help its F1 team
On Tuesday, Red Bull laid out its plans to develop and build a new hypercar - the RB17 - penned by Adrian Newey. As the project itself sates Newey as a creative outlet, it also offers Red Bull's Formula 1 team a number of new and exciting avenues to pursue
What to expect from Mercedes as F1 returns to Silverstone
OPINION: The British Grand Prix is a home event for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, with their Mercedes team based just a few miles away too. But there’s another reason why the Silver Arrows squad is eager to arrive at Silverstone this weekend, which may help it fix its remaining problems with its 2022 Formula 1 challenger
The “solemn promise” that cost quiet hero Brooks an F1 title
After two terrifying crashes, one of the best British racers of the 1950s retired before his career peaked. But that’s why GP Racing’s MAURICE HAMILTON was able to speak to Tony Brooks in 2014. Like his friend Stirling Moss, Brooks was regarded as one of the best drivers never to have won the world championship. Here, as our tribute to Brooks who died last month, is that interview in full
Inside the Faenza facility where AlphaTauri’s F1 pragmatic vision is realised
AlphaTauri’s mission in F1 is to sell clothes and train young drivers rather than win the championship – but you still need a cutting-edge factory to do that. Team boss Franz Tost takes GP Racing’s OLEG KARPOV on a guided tour of a facility that’s continuing to grow
Connecting two of Ferrari's favourite F1 sons
Gilles Villeneuve's exploits behind the wheel of a Ferrari made him a legend to the tifosi, even 40 years after his death. The team's current Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc enjoys a similar status, and recently got behind the wheel of a very special car from the French-Canadian’s career