The FIA have confirmed that they have altered the pit-lane regulations in the wake of the injuries sustained by cameraman Paul Allen.
Allen was one of six Formula One Management camera crews who were operating in the pit-lane during the German Grand Prix on Sunday.
He was hit by a wheel which had come off of Mark Webber’s Red Bull car, his wheel had previously missed mechanics in the Ferrari, Lotus and Mercedes pits before hitting Allen breaking his collarbone and two ribs.
[Red Bull were fined ?30,000 for an unsafe pit release.]
Thankfully he will make a full recovery, but the FIA have made quick changes to the rules to prevent the incident from repeating.
Pitlane access will now be a lot stricter, with team personnel and marshals to be the only people with access. The media [cameramen and photographers] will be moved to the pit wall.
There will also be a tweak to the regulations so that all team personnel working on a car during pit stops will require head protection.
The pitlane speed limit will also be reduced during races from 100kmh to 80kmh [Street circuits in Melbourne, Monaco and Singapore the speed limit will remain unchanged at 60 kmh].
The changes in regards to the pitcrews and speed limits had been scheduled to be implemented next season, however FIA President Jean Todt has now insisted on making the changes immediately.
There was also sympathy for Allen from Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone who said to Sky Sports: ‘I’ve been in close contact with everybody who has been dealing with the matter.
‘It’s a terrible thing to say, but it was just one of those things. There was a whole bunch of mechanics and the tyre could have hit any one of those guys.
‘The cameraman just happened to be looking the wrong way at the wrong time. In future, all our camera crews will only be allowed to film from the pit wall.’
