Race Director's Event Notes for 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix

This document outlines general instructions and event-specific procedures for the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix, issued by Rui Marques, The FIA Formula One Race Director.

General Instructions

1. Laps during Qualifying Session and Reconnaissance Lap(s)

• Speed Limits: Drivers must stay below a maximum time set by the FIA between Safety Car lines during in-laps, out-laps, and reconnaissance laps. This maximum time will be communicated after the Second Practice Session.
• Unnecessarily Slow Driving: Exceeding the maximum time may result in being deemed unnecessarily slow. Incidents will be investigated after the Qualifying Session or Race.

2. Parc Fermé

• Cameras: Parc Fermé cameras must remain uncovered and operational throughout the Event.

3. Lapping during the Race

• Faster Car Priority: Drivers being lapped must allow faster cars to pass at the first available opportunity.
• Marshalling System: The F1 marshalling system will provide a pre-warning (within 3.0s) and blue light panels (within 1.2s) to indicate an approaching faster car.

4. Article 55.15 Sporting Regulations

• Safety Car Restart: Drivers must proceed at a consistent pace without erratic acceleration, braking, or maneuvers that could endanger others or impede the restart before the Safety Car returns to the pits.

5. ERS Safety Check after Covers Off

• Telemetry Logging: Teams must connect umbilicals and start telemetry data logging to check ERS safety status immediately after covers are removed under Parc Fermé conditions each morning.

6. Pit Lane Safety

• Discipline: Pit lane and track discipline are consistent across all sessions. Team personnel are only permitted in the pit lane when required to work on a car and must withdraw once work is complete.
• Pit Lane Access: The message "ALL PASS HOLDERS MAY ACCESS THE PIT LANE" signals that Article 34.13 is no longer applicable, allowing all pass holders to enter.
• Competitor Responsibility: Competitors are responsible for the actions of all personnel and individuals granted access to Reserved Areas.

7. Lap times in each Practice Sessions, Qualifying Session and the Race

• Classification: Only lap times completed on the track will be used for classification.

8. Finishing the Race

• Control Line: The "Line" for finishing the Race refers to the Control Line on the track, not in the Pit Lane.

Event Specific Instructions

9. Marshalling System

• Pit Lane Entry/Exit: Cars entering or leaving the pit lane are subject to the marshalling state (yellow or double yellow flag) of the associated sector until they pass the blue line.

10. Specific Technical Procedures

• Appendix Index File: Competitors must comply with the latest FIA Appendix Index File ("2025 Formula 1 Appendix iss 13 – 2025-10-10.xlsx") and all relevant documents available on the FIA SFTP site.

11. Support Races Team Barrier Placement and Movements

• Barrier Placement: Team barriers must be placed no more than 5 meters from garages.
• Pit Stop Gantry Arms: Gantry arms must be moved back towards the garage during all support category activities.
• Release Times: Support crews/trolleys and competition vehicles will be released into Pit Lane no earlier than 20 and 15 minutes, respectively, before Pit Exit opening.

12. Practice Starts

• Restrictions: No practice starts are allowed at the pit exit or during the Qualifying Session.
• Free Practice: Practice starts after Free Practice sessions will follow Article 38.3 of the Sporting Regulations.
• Pit Lane Exit (Race): Practice starts during the race pit exit open time can be carried out at the end of the pit exit road before the SC2 line on the left-hand side.
• Non-Practice Starts: Cars not performing a practice start must cross the white line separating the Pit Exit Road from the track at the earliest opportunity.

13. Article 34.8 Sporting Regulations (Fast Lane)

• Formation: Cars driving to the end of the pit lane must form a line in the fast lane and leave in order of arrival.
• Fast Lane Definition: A car is in the fast lane when a tyre has crossed the solid white line separating the fast lane from the inner lane.
• Blending into Fast Lane: Cars should blend into the fast lane safely and without impeding others. Cars driving parallel in the inner lane are not considered to have blended.
• Overtaking: Overtaking in the fast lane or working lane is generally not permitted, except in exceptional circumstances (e.g., a stopped car with a mechanical problem).

14. Lines at the Pit Entry and Pit Exit

• Pit Entry/Exit Procedures: Drivers must follow procedures outlined in Chapter 4, Articles 4 and 6 of Appendix L to the ISC.
• Pit Entry Definition: Passing to the left of the pit entry road after Safety Car Line 1 is considered entering the pit lane.
• Safety at Pit Entry: Drivers must keep to the left of the solid white line at pit entry.
• Reconnaissance Laps: During reconnaissance laps, drivers may cross the white line separating the pit exit road from the circuit.
• Team Personnel: During live sessions, team personnel are not allowed in the pit lane beyond the pit lane barrier near pit entry.

15. Stopping the Qualifying Session

• Resumption: If a Qualifying Session is stopped with less than 90 seconds remaining, the Race Director, with Stewards' agreement, may decide not to resume that period.

16. Post Qualifying Session Drivers Weighing

• Procedure: Drivers participating in Q1 or Q2 must go directly to FIA scales after returning to their garage. Top 10 finishers must go immediately after exiting their cars, without contact with others.
• Weight: Drivers may not drink or do anything to increase their weight before recording.

17. DRS during Free Practice Sessions, Qualifying Sessions, and the Race

• DRS Disabled: DRS detection will be automatically disabled in any zone where light panels display yellow.
• DRS Activation Zones and Panels:
  • DRS activation 1: Panels 3, 4, 5, 6
  • DRS activation 2: Panels 16, 17, 18

18. Track Limits

• White Lines: White lines define track edges. Failing to negotiate a lap within track limits or failing to respect track limits at the apex of Turn 17 will result in lap time invalidation.

19. Unsafe or Unknown ERS Status

• Team Action: If ERS status is unsafe or unknown, the team must send mechanics to the pit entry area to retrieve the car at the end of the session.

20. Leaving the Garage before and during all Practice Sessions

• Pit Lane Entry: No cars may enter the pit lane to proceed to pit exit until 5 minutes before the start of a Practice or Qualifying Session.
• Suspended Sessions: During suspended Free Practice or Qualifying Sessions, cars may only enter the Fast Lane after restart time confirmation via messaging.

21. Fire Extinguishers around the Circuit

• Location: Indicated by white boards with red fire extinguishers on debris fences.

22. Places to Remove Cars from the Track

• Location: Indicated by fluorescent orange panels/paintings on barriers.

23. Removing Cars from the Grid

• Location: Cars can be removed from the grid through gates adjacent to the start line and grid position 9.

24. Race Suspension or Starting Procedure Suspension

• Car Stoppage: In case of race or starting procedure suspension (except grid stoppage), cars will stop in the fast lane, with the first car near the last team garage.

25. Car Number Light Panels for the Start

• Location: On the left-hand side of the grid.

26. Light Panels (Mirroring)

• Incident Mirroring: Yellow and double yellow light panels will be mirrored:
  • Panel 9 mirrored on panel 8.
  • Panel 12 mirrored on panel 11.
  • Panel 13 mirrored on panel 12.
  • Panel 19 mirrored on panel 18.

27. Changes to the Circuit

• Turn 3: Adjusted right-hand side inside painted kerb and white line (wall remains).
• Turn 4: Adjusted exit left-hand side track edge; painted kerb removed. Two asphalt patches (50m before MP4.8, 20m after MP over track width).
• Turn 5: Asphalt patch 40m before Turn 5 over track width. Adjusted Turn 5 and Turn 6 left-hand side painted kerb and white line (wall remains).
• Turn 8: Widened run-off on left for better access. Two asphalt patches (one at MP12.9, one 30m after MP over track width).
• MP15.1: Moved to opposite track side for better line sight.
• MP16.0: Moved closer to T15.
• Distance Boards: Updated size, 100m boards in blue.
• Manhole: Reprofiled between Turn 16 and Turn 17 under bridge.
• Concrete Barrier: Reprofiled before pit entry (after speed limit board) on right-hand side.