Photo: FIA Formula 2 / Joe Portlock
The FIA has added a safeguard clause to its International Sporting Code that will make it easier for championship regulations to be adjusted during the global coronavirus pandemic.
The World Motor Sport Council approved the change in response to many series, teams and other contractors struggling with the cancellation of events as governments set stricter and lengthier lockdown restrictions to slow down the spread of COVID-19.
Prior to the safeguard clause being added, all FIA championships required the unanimous agreement of all competitors involved to make any changes to individual sporting and technical regulations. What changes with the safeguard clause is that the FIA now has the ability to make such changes in shorter time period and via majority agreement rather than total approval.
The new clause reads as follows:
“18.2.4 Shorter notice periods than those mentioned above may be applied, provided that the unanimous agreement of all Competitors properly entered for the Championship, cup, trophy, challenge or series concerned is obtained. However, in exceptional circumstances, and if the FIA considers that the change in question is essential for the safeguarding of the Championship, cup, trophy, challenge or series concerned, the agreement of the majority of the Competitors properly entered shall suffice.”
The list of official FIA championships in junior single-seaters includes the Formula 1-supporting Formula 2 and Formula 3 championships, the Lurani Trophy for Formula Junior cars and the Historic European F3 Cup. Many of the top karting championships for young drivers aiming to race in junior single-seaters are also FIA competitions.