Formula 1 revises its rules over collision penalties for 2017
Formula 1 drivers will not receive penalties for collisions in 2017 unless it is absolutely clear who is at fault, the FIA has confirmed


The manner in which punishments for contact were handed out became increasingly controversial last season.
For example eventual champion Nico Rosberg's time penalty for a light clash with Kimi Raikkonen as they battled at the Malaysian Grand Prix was branded "complete nonsense" by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
There was a growing feeling that such a strict stance was making some drivers less willing to take the risk and go for a pass.
But following discussions in the F1 Commission and World Motor Sport Council last week, it has been agreed that from now on drivers will only face punishment for incidents if they are "wholly" to blame for a crash.
In revisions to the F1 sporting regulations for 2017, the stewards have been told that it will be entirely their choice to decide if they wish to investigate incidents reported to them by F1's race director.
A revised article 38.2 a) states: "It shall be at the discretion of the stewards to decide if any driver involved in an incident should be penalised.
"Unless it is clear to the stewards that a driver was wholly or predominantly to blame for an incident no penalty will be imposed."

NEW STARTING TIMES
As well as outlining the new rules that confirm standing starts after safety car periods, the FIA has also announced the new timing for pitlane opening before a race.
In a bid to ensure drivers are present at the national anthem ceremony, the pitlane will open 30 minutes before a race start and close 10 minutes later.
Drivers must then be present at the national anthem ceremony, which takes place 14 minutes before the start.

Formula 1's 2017 changes just 'window dressing' - Red Bull's Horner
McLaren F1 team now 'more agile' with development, Boullier feels

Latest news
Gasly: AlphaTauri has the “right tools” to recover F1 form
Pierre Gasly believes his AlphaTauri Formula 1 team has the “right tools” with which to solve its recent issues.
The consequences of Aston Martin’s radical F1 rear wing design
Formula 1’s 2022 technical regulations have been described as overly prescriptive as the rulemakers look to stifle specific developments in order that their overall goals are achieved – but here’s a plot twist.
Horner: "Timing is right" for Vettel's F1 retirement
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner believes that his former driver Sebastian Vettel has chosen the right time to retire from Formula 1.
Zhou focused on Alfa Romeo stay in F1 2023 silly season
Zhou Guanyu says his focus lies with retaining his Formula 1 seat at Alfa Romeo for 2023 ahead of talks about his future after the summer break.
Why few could blame Leclerc for following the example of Hamilton’s exit bombshell
OPINION: Ferrari's numerous strategy blunders, as well as some of his own mistakes, have cost Charles Leclerc dearly in the 2022 Formula 1 title battle in the first half of the season. Though he is locked into a deal with Ferrari, few could blame Leclerc if he ultimately wanted to look elsewhere - just as Lewis Hamilton did with McLaren 10 years prior
The other McLaren exile hoping to follow Perez's path to a top F1 seat
After being ditched by McLaren earlier in his F1 career Sergio Perez fought his way back into a seat with a leading team. BEN EDWARDS thinks the same could be happening to another member of the current grid
How studying Schumacher helped make Coulthard a McLaren F1 mainstay
Winner of 13 grands prix including Monaco and survivor of a life-changing plane crash, David Coulthard could be forgiven for having eased into a quiet retirement – but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, in fact he’s busier than ever, running an award-winning media company and championing diversity in motor racing. Not bad for someone who, by his own admission, wasn’t quite the fastest driver of his generation…
Could F1 move to a future beyond carbonfibre?
Formula 1 has ambitious goals for improving its carbon footprint, but could this include banishing its favoured composite material? PAT SYMONDS considers the alternatives to carbonfibre and what use, if any, those materials have in a Formula 1 setting
How Russell has proven he deserves to be Hamilton's Mercedes heir
He’s fast, he’s smart, and he’s already shown he’s not going to let Max Verstappen intimidate him. George Russell won’t say it, but LUKE SMITH says he’s ready to take the lead at Mercedes when Lewis Hamilton moves on to a quieter life. And – whisper it – Mercedes and Lewis are starting to think so too
The traits that fuelled Alonso's unexpected Aston Martin move
Fernando Alonso’s bombshell switch to Aston Martin sent shockwaves through Formula 1, not least at Alpine that finds itself tangled in a contract standoff with Oscar Piastri. Not shy of a bold career move and with a CV punctuated by them, there were numerous hints that trouble was brewing
The elements Ferrari must resolve to first save face, then win championships
OPINION: Ferrari's Formula 1 title hopes look all but over after another strategic blunder in last week's Hungarian Grand Prix denied Charles Leclerc the chance to fight for victory, while handing it to chief rival Max Verstappen. The Scuderia now faces intense scrutiny over what it must now do to finally become a genuine factor in championship battles
The clues about Hamilton’s F1 retirement plans revealed after Vettel’s decision
OPINION: Sebastian Vettel is set to leave Formula 1 at the end of 2022 and will, rather shockingly, be replaced by Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin. But what about the final chapter of the other driver that defined the post-Michael Schumacher era? In Hungary, Lewis Hamilton spoke about his future in the context of Vettel’s upcoming departure, which offered clues on how long it will last