Charlie Whiting comments on teams fake pit stops. Charlie Whiting comments on teams fake pit stops.

FIA race director Charlie Whiting says he isn’t concerned about pit crews occasionally appearing in the pits when their drivers do not make pit stops.

Article 28.12 of the Sporting Regulations states “team personnel are only allowed in the pit lane immediately before they are required to work on a car and must withdraw as soon as the work is complete.” However it is not uncommon to see team members appear in the pits without their driver makring a pit stop, potentially to dupe a rival into thinking they are about to pit.

Whiting, who as race director has the power to report incidents to the stewards, was asked about Mercedes doing so during the last race, and said he isn’t concerned about the practice:

“It was clear they could have been stopping. Whether they had any intention to do it I don’t know. The rule’s in place purely to stop people hanging around all the time if you remember they used to be out in the pit lane nearly all the time. I think it works pretty well. They all play little games occasionally.

If they’d been hanging around in that area for a couple of minute at the same time Ferrari were coming for example then we might have something to say about it. I think that’s all part of the show.” – he concluded.