Drivers Code of Conduct

The objectives of these guidelines are to ensure:

• Safe, hard, and competitive racing.
• Fairness and sporting justice for all competitors.
• Consistency in decision-making across all categories of racing.
• Standardization of driving standards and race direction in alignment with international best practice

DRIVING STANDARDS

• Overtaking on the INSIDE of a Corner
  • To be entitled to racing room on the inside of a corner, the overtaking car must have its front axle AT LEAST ALONGSIDE the mirrors/middle section of the other car at the apex of the corner. In addition, the overtaking driver must:
  • Drive in a controlled manner throughout the entire maneuver (entry, apex, and exit).
  • Be able to take the corner within the track limits.
  • Not force the other car off track at the exit, leaving a fair and acceptable width for the car being overtaken.
  • If these conditions are met, the car on the outside must leave sufficient racing room for the overtaking car.
• Overtaking on the OUTSIDE of a Corner
  • Overtaking on the outside is a difficult maneuver. To be entitled to racing room when overtaking on the outside, the overtaking car must have its front axle AT LEAST ALONGSIDE the front axle of the other car at the apex of the corner. In addition, the overtaking driver must:
  • Drive in a controlled manner throughout the maneuver.
  • Be able to take the corner within the track limits. If these conditions are met, the car on the inside must not force the car on the outside wide and off track.
• Chicanes and S-Bends
  • The guidelines for inside and outside overtaking may be applied independently to each corner element at the discretion of the Officials, who will consider the sequence as a whole. 
  • Priority will typically be given to the car that is ahead at the first corner element.
• Defending on a STRAIGHT
  • More than one change of direction to defend a position is not permitted.
  • Any driver moving back towards the racing line after an initial defensive move must leave at least one car width between their car and the edge of the track on the approach to the corner.
  • A driver must not make a late change of direction as a reaction to an attacking move from a car behind. This is considered blocking.
  • Moves intended to break the slipstream of a car that is a safe distance behind may be acceptable, subject to the conditions above.
• Defending under BRAKING
  • A driver must not make any change of direction after the deceleration phase for a corner has commenced, other than to follow the natural racing line.
• Re-entering the Track
  • Re-entering the track after going off must be done with caution and in a safe manner. Maintaining racing speed in a runoff area is not permitted.
  • A car re-joining the circuit must give way to any car on the track. A car on track should not be forced to change its speed or line to avoid a re-entering car.
• Track Limits
  • Respecting track limits is a fundamental part of motorsport. Driving at the limit while remaining on the track is a skill that must be rewarded.
  • Qualifying: A lap time achieved by infringing track limits will be deleted. The subsequent lap time may also be deleted if an advantage was gained.
  • Practice: Invalid lap times will be deleted.
  • Giving Back an Advantage: If the order of the cars behind changes following a track limit infringement by a driver, that driver may need to give up more than one position to fully nullify the advantage gained.

Framework for Incident Analysis

 Racing is a dynamic process. While the above sections outline specific conditions for overtaking and defending, League Commissioner/officials will analyze the full context of any incident. They will consider how each incident evolved, including but not limited to the following factors:

1. Lead-up: How did the cars arrive at the point of incident? (e.g., late braking, diving in, moving under braking, changing track condition, wheel lock-up.)
2. Execution: Was the maneuver late or “overly optimistic”? Could the maneuver have been completed while remaining on track?
3. Awareness: What could the drivers reasonably see, know, or anticipate from their respective positions?
4. Control: Was understeer, oversteer, or brake-locking exhibited by either car?
5. Contribution: Did a driver’s position or maneuver their car in a way that contributed to the incident?
6. Corner Characteristics: Did the type of corner contribute to the incident? (e.g., camber, curbs, single vs. multiple apexes).
7. Vehicle & Track State: Consideration of the relative grip that the drivers have, the condition of their tires, and circuit conditions. It is the driver’s responsibility to drive to the level of grip available.