At a glance
- Ordinary pit entry during a Safety Car deployment is allowed only for the purpose of changing tyres. A compulsory diversion through the pit lane is the exception to that restriction.
- During compulsory passage through the pits, every car must enter, but a garage stop is optional. Failure to enter brings a drive-through penalty.
- During that compulsory passage, a driver on the entry or exit road cannot pass another car also on either road unless the other car slows with an obvious problem.
- Cars stopping at their designated garage areas while the Safety Car uses the pit lane may be passed.
- While lapped cars circulate to rejoin the queue after being allowed past, the Race Director may close the pit exit as the Safety Car and the queue approach and pass it.
In this article
Under F1 Safety Car pit lane rules, drivers may ordinarily enter the pits only for the purpose of changing tyres. If the Race Director instead instructs the cars and Safety Car to use the pit lane, every car must pass through, with no obligation to stop or change tyres.
This guide covers the FIA Formula 1 World Championship’s 2026 Sporting Regulations, Section B, Issue 09, bearing the printed date 1 October 2026.
Two ways to enter the pits
For an ordinary pit visit during a Safety Car deployment, the restriction concerns why the driver enters: the purpose must be changing tyres. The provision does not require a completed tyre change or give general permission to enter solely for repairs.
Drivers must also avoid unnecessary slowness, erratic driving and behaviour potentially dangerous to other drivers or anyone else. These requirements apply on the track, pit entry road and pit lane throughout the deployment.
Related posts
Rules & Flags
F1 Safety Car unlapping: Who Can Pass and When?
Rules & Flags
F1 Race Flag Meanings: What Drivers Must Do
When the whole field must use the pits
Under certain circumstances, the Race Director may direct the cars and Safety Car through the pit lane. A signal is displayed before the start of the pit entry road, and all competitors are notified. Every car must then enter, drive through and rejoin the track.
A driver following that instruction may stop at the car’s designated garage area but is not required to do so.
Passing through the pits as instructed is not itself a penalty. A driver who fails to enter when required will receive a drive-through penalty.
| Situation | Requirement for entry | What the rule says about stopping |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary pit visit during a Safety Car deployment | Entry must be for the purpose of changing tyres. | The entry provision does not require a completed tyre change. |
| Whole field instructed through the pit lane | Every car must enter, drive through and rejoin the track. | A stop at the car’s designated garage area is permitted, not compulsory. |
Source: FIA 2026 Sporting Regulations, Section B, Issue 09, “Use of Pit Lane during a SC Deployment”.
Where overtaking is permitted
The pit lane provides access to the pit boxes and garages, as defined in the Formula 1 glossary. The Safety Car rules distinguish it from the pit entry road and pit exit road: overtaking permissions depend on where both cars are.
When entering the pits, a driver may pass another car remaining on track, including the Safety Car, after reaching the first safety car line. When leaving the pits, a driver may pass another car on track before reaching the second safety car line.
A driver on the pit entry road, in the pit lane or on the pit exit road may also overtake another car within any of those three areas. However, the compulsory passage through the pits brings an additional restriction.
During that procedure, a driver on the entry or exit road must not pass another car also on either road unless the other car slows with an obvious problem. Both cars’ locations matter: this particular restriction applies between cars on those roads, rather than throughout the pit lane.
The regulations expressly allow drivers to pass a car stopping at its designated garage area while the Safety Car uses the pit lane. The deployment’s driving standards still apply during a permitted pass.
When the pit exit may close
During the Safety Car unlapping procedure, lapped cars that have passed the lead-lap cars and Safety Car circulate to rejoin the queue. While they do so, the Race Director has sole discretion to close the pit exit when the Safety Car and the cars behind it approach and pass the exit.
Permission to enter for tyres therefore does not guarantee an immediate return to the track.
Image credit: Illustrative photograph. · Liauzh · Own work · Modifications: Wikimedia-provided thumbnail. · Image source · CC BY 4.0
