The FIA has introduced new restrictions on the use of visor tear-off strips by drivers but has stopped short of banning them from being dropped outside the car.
From this weekend drivers will be prevented from using tear-offs during practice, including qualifying, but can use them with restriction in the race.
?For this race we?ve been permitted two tear-offs in the race itself so I think that will be sufficient,? confirmed Mercedes executive director for technical Paddy Lowe in today?s FIA press conference.
The clamp-down on tear-offs has been introduced after some drivers experienced car failures related to discarded strips. Fernando Alonso suffered a braking problem during last year?s Spanish Grand Prix after a visor tear-off went into his brake duct. A similar problem affected Kimi Raikkonen during the 2013 Belgian Grand Prix.
And at the United States Grand Prix in 2014 Nico Hulkenberg blamed a visor tear-off for a loss of grip when he ran over one during qualifying.
?I think there?s a constant dialogue with the FIA to find a practical way forward for this,? Lowe added. The sport?s governing body has been exploring the possibility of requiring drivers to store used tear-offs inside their cars, providing a way can be found to do so safely.
2016 Monaco Grand Prix
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