FIA tweaks safety car rules after Abu Dhabi finale incident

Last season's Formula One finale in Abu Dhabi brought everyone to the edge of their seats, but the way the last lap battle was handled sparked controversy. And because of that, F1's governing body, the FIA, has made steps to ensure the incident won't happen again starting this year.

The race became controversial towards the end of the safety car period after only the lapped cars between race leader Lewis Hamilton and second-placed Max Verstappen were allowed to pass before the final lap went green. This left Hamilton powerless on old tires against Verstappen on fresh rubber, and ultimately decided the F1 drivers' title.

Apparently, previous safety car rules state that any car can be waved past the leader under safety car conditions if it is safe to do so. The word “any” became a major talking point between F1 teams, drivers, and even fans, as some believe it does not necessarily mean it covers all the lapped cars.

But now, after discussing the issue with F1 teams, the FIA has amended that rule on the latest Formula One sporting regulations to end the debate once and for all.

Article 55.13 now states that: “If the clerk of the course considers it safe to do so, and the message ‘LAPPED CARS MAY NOW OVERTAKE’ has been sent to all competitors using the official messaging system, all cars that have been lapped by the leader will be required to pass the cars on the lead lap and the safety car.”

We only have a few days left before the five red lights go out in Bahrain. With new cars, new drivers, a new race director, and an amended set of rules, here's to hoping we see more on-track duels than off-track battles this year.