10/05/2017
NEWS STORY
As new driver identification rules kick-in, Mercedes is first to reveal the new look.
Following the recent meeting of the Strategy Group at the end of last month, it was revealed that from this weekend's race the sporting regulations would be strictly enforced to ensure that the visibility of drivers' names and numbers on cars would be clearer.
Subsequently, writing to the teams ahead of the Russian Grand Prix, Charlie Whiting wrote to all the teams explaining: "We require each car number to be clearly visible from the front of the car (Article 9.2).
"We feel that to be clearly visible the numbers should be no less than 230mm high, have a minimum stroke thickness of 40mm and be of a clearly contrasting colour to their background.
"Each driver's name (or TLA) is to be clearly legible on the external bodywork (Article 9.3)." he continued, the TLA referring to the official timing screen abbreviation for each drivers such as HAM (Hamilton), BOT (Bottas) and RIC (Ricciardo).
"We feel that to be clearly legible the names should be no less than 150mm high, have a minimum stroke thickness of 30mm and be of a clearly contrasting colour to their background."
In conclusion, he warned that failure to adhere to the rules could mean exclusion from the event.
"In order to fully comply with the F1 Sporting Regulations, we expect all cars to be presented in Barcelona with this new, much clearer, identification," he warned. "A report will be made to the stewards concerning any car that does not comply with the above minimum requirements."
Ahead of this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, Mercedes was the first team to reveal how its two drivers will be identified from now on.