2.1 In-game penalties
2.2 Being lapped
2.3 Safety Car and Virtual Safety Car guidelines
2.4 Formation Lap guidelines
2.5 Tyre rules
2.6 Pit stops
2.7 DRS / ERS
2.8 Jump starts
2.9 Pausing the game
2.10 Mandatory race recording (PS4 eSport Series)
2.1 In-game penalties:
2.1.1
● If you feel that the game has awarded you an unfair time penalty, you can apply for a penalty removal in the Stewards Panel after the race. More information about this can be found under the Rule Enforcement section. Compensation for unfair drive throughs or stop-go penalties will not be possible, as this affects your position on the track during the race. 2.1.2
● If you feel the game has unfairly disqualified from the race, you can submit your full race footage to the stewards. If we feel that the disqualification was justified, it will remain. However if we feel that the disqualification was clearly unfair, or came as a result of a game glitch, then you will be classified as the last finisher and score full points for that position.
2.2 Being lapped:
2.2.1
● When the game shows you the blue flag, you have been caught up by a car on a lap ahead of you. When being lapped, it is your responsibility to let the leaders through safely at the earliest opportunity, without blocking them.
2.2.2
● If you are going faster than a car that has lapped you, do not attempt to unlap yourself unless it is safe to do so and doesn't hinder the car in front.
2.3 Safety car & virtual safety car guidelines:
Note: Safety car will be enabled in the eSport Series races.
2.3.1
● During a virtual safety car, or while catching up to the train during a safety car period, you must not exceed the delta time indicated by the game.
2.3.2
● If you are the lead car and driving to catch up to the safety car, please take caution when approaching it, as it will be moving very slowly while waiting to pick you up. Approach it slowly and then the safety car should pick up its speed. Make sure you keep a safe distance to the safety car to avoid potentially hitting it if lag or other inconsistencies occur, as this may lead to the game disqualifying you from the race.
2.3.3
● As the leader of the pack following the safety car, do not intentionally slow the pack down to a ridiculously low speed when controlling the pace ahead of a restart.
2.3.4
● While in the safety car queue, do not drive dangerously by weaving excessively or suddenly slowing down in front of someone. Keep a safe distance to the car ahead, but without creating an unnaturally big gap in the queue.
2.3.5
● No overtaking should happen under safety car conditions, even if the car ahead of you is a ghost car driven by the AI, or a car that is lapped. Although it may be frustrating to sit behind a slow-moving ghost car until you reach the pit-lane or catch up to the pack, this will avoid problems such as illegal overtake penalties being awarded.
2.3.6
● It is prohibited to park or crash your car for the purpose of initiating a safety car situation. Anyone found to have deliberately crashed out (eg. rage-quit in a manner that can cause a safety car situation) will be severely penalised, regardless of whether this actually ended up causing a safety car or not.
2.3.7
● If you want to make a pit stop and you are driving closely behind the safety car, then you must leave a gap to the safety car to the extent that you definitely do NOT overtake the safety car in the pit lane. If you don't follow this, everyone in the queue behind the safety car will be told to overtake the safety car which will cause major delays to the safety car period and possibly other issues.
2.3.8
● When a driver makes a pit stop while the safety car is out, it may happen that the car in 1st position will momentarily be shown as 2nd place by the game and therefore be told to overtake the safety car. If this happens and you know that you are the lead car, then you should ignore the message to overtake the safety car and stay behind it until the positions are fixed and the safety car resumes a normal pace. This should happen within a few seconds. Be careful in this situation though, as in the seconds where this glitch is active the safety car will go very slowly because it wants to let you through.
2.3.9
● If we experience a major glitch with the safety car (for example someone being unfairly and unavoidably disqualified due to a safety car glitch), we reserve the right to disable this feature with immediate effect if deemed appropriate.
2.4 Formation lap guidelines:
Note: Formation Lap will be enabled in the eSport Series.
2.4.1
● For the sake of fairness with regards to tyre wear, all drivers are required to complete the formation lap. It is not allowed to skip the formation lap by intentionally driving in a manner that sends you back to the grid. Doing this, or being at fault for an incident that sends you back to the grid, will see you awarded with a post-race penalty.
2.4.2
● At the start of the formation lap, please do not move away from your grid slot until every car ahead of you have started moving.
2.4.3
● During the formation lap, do not drive dangerously by weaving excessively or suddenly slowing down in front of someone. Keep a safe distance to the car ahead, but without creating an unnaturally big gap in the queue.
2.5 Tyre rules:
2.5.1
● Drivers who qualify in the top 10 are forced to start the race on the tyre set they used to set their fastest qualifying lap. Drivers who qualify outside the top 10 may choose whichever set of starting tyres they want.
2.5.2
● In qualifying, it is not allowed to deliberately crash your car in order to destroy the tyre set you would have started with upon qualifying in the top 10. If you happen to accidentally crash out and ruin your starting tyres, you must start the race on a different set of the same compound of tyre.
2.5.3
● You must use two of the three available dry tyre compounds at least once during the race. 2.5.4
● You must use one of the two mandatory tyre sets (as specified by the game) at some point during the race.
2.5.5
● If either of the two wet tyres (intermediates or wets) are used at any time in the race, the two above rules become invalid.
2.5.6
● In qualifying, it is not allowed to run laps on wet tyres (intermediates or wets) while the track conditions are clearly dry.
2.6 Pit stops:
2.6.1
● Stay within the white line when entering and exiting the pit lane. If you cause a dangerous situation by crossing the pit entrance or exit line, or if this is done in a way that blatantly gains time or track position, you will be penalised.
2.6.2
● With manual pit stops enabled, you will need to apply the brakes yourself when going into the pits. Slow down to the required speed limit (which can vary from track to track) before the marker boards at the start of the pit lane.
2.6.3
● With manual pit stops enabled, you will need to perform the start procedure upon leaving your pit box, once the pit light goes green. This procedure is the same as launching the car at the start of the race.
2.6.4
● With manual pit stops enabled, you will need to manually disengage the pit limiter upon leaving the pit lane. Make sure you have a button assigned for this.
2.6.5
● It is not allowed to pause the game in order to have the AI perform the pit entry for you.
2.7 DRS / ERS Modes:
● Driving in a dangerous or unsporting manner in order to gain the use of DRS/ERS in the race is not allowed and may be penalised retrospectively. This kind of driving includes - but is not limited to - violently decelerating and/or steering when clearly in front of the following car, or deliberately letting another car go past for the purpose of ensuring DRS activation.
ERS Mode will be set to manual and will be managed by the respective drivers
2.8 Jump starts:
2.8.1
● If you move off the grid before the red lights go out, the game will award you with a drive-through penalty.
2.8.2
● At present there is a chance that the game will give you green lights before the lights go green for those around you. If this happens, you must abide by the below guidelines, in order to avoid severe punishment: - If you are not on the front row, be very careful as cars around you won't move and it's not their fault. You should stop your car and wait for the field to start. If you fail to do this, and still get away cleanly, you must slow down at a safe place within the first sector and drop down into the position you started in (regardless of any incidents or overtakes having happened in the field behind).
- If you start from P1 on the grid and are clearly released before the rest of the field, and you drive off before noticing, then you must clearly negate the advantage as quickly and as safely as possible, to the extent that you fully reduce the gap to the car behind. Be warned that this may prompt them to attempt an overtake and they are fully justified to do so.
- If you start in P2 and get away first, then you are expected to negate the advantage and concede 1st place to the current lead car to the extent that your car is completely behind theirs - not simply alongside.
2.9 Pausing the game:
2.9.1
● We advise against intentionally pausing the game during safety car periods and when you are close ahead of another car during the race, as this will cause your car to slow down and may lead to surrounding cars taking avoiding action, even if your car is ghosted.
2.9.2
● You are fully responsible for your car's actions even while the game is paused, and any incidents or dangerous situations caused as a result of this will be penalised normally.
2.10 Mandatory recording (PS4 top 2 leagues only):
2.10.1
● With the PS4 having the functionality to record for up to an hour directly via the console, we will be implementing mandatory recording for the top two leagues on the PS4 side this season, which means that the drivers in these leagues will have to record and upload their best qualifying lap and their FULL race for each round. The footage will need to be posted in the specified thread in the league forum within 2 days (48 hours) after the race.
2.10.2
● Other platforms/leagues will not enforce mandatory recording from the start of the season, putting trust in the drivers to respect the rules. However, it is up to the coordinators' discretion as to whether it is necessary to add this measure at some point during the season.