Rule clarification for 2017
It's that time of year again when I start thinking about changing RealityF1 for the new F1 season. One of the things I want to do this year is to remove the ambiguity surrounding the definition of pit stops in RealityF1.
The reason this needs clarification is because of the Austrian GP 2016, at the start of the race there was an accident and, for several laps, the cars were taken through the pit lane by the safety car while the start line was cleared of debris. The official classification of the race has Lewis Hamilton (the winner) making four stops but, of those, two were trips through the pit lane behind the safety car (without stopping in the pit box) and two stops were to change tyres.
Originally I'd followed the official race classification but, after comments and discussions with players, I changed the number of stops to two rather than four. Since then I've continued to get feedback on this decision and also realised it's the opposite of the approach I took in Canada in 2011. On that occasion Jenson Button took an amazing victory but also visited the pit lane to serve a penalty. At the time I followed the official race classification, this included the penalty visit as well as visits to the pits to change tyres.
This is one of those situations where there is no right answer but, for future seasons, I want to avoid any doubt over what I'll do in these circumstances. Consequently, I will be updating the rules for the 2017 season so that it's clear that I will always use the official classification from the race rather than my own interpretation.
The reasons for this are as follows:
- The official classification is, well, official. By using the official classification there is no ambiguity and it is not open to my, or anyone else's, interpretation. The official classification is the definitive source of results.
- If a "Canada 2011" situation occurs then it's hard to justify not including the penalty in the number of pit visits. If you start including penalties then you should include all visits to the pit lane.
- If the scores are based on my interpretation then I have to watch the race before I can do the scores. Having a family means that it's not always possible to watch all races before doing the scores. As a result, if I don't use the official clarification, the scores may not be posted on the same day as the race and this is something that various user feedback surveys have shown is important.
I realise some of you may not agree with this approach, some of you will, but I hope you can understand the reasons behind it and the need for a clarification of the rules. I will be updating the rules for the 2017 to make the situation clear. I will also be making some text changes throughout the site to make the situation clear.
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