Everything you need to know about Push-to-Pass introduced in FRECA

If there is one small element missing from FRECA races (Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine), it is indeed this little grain of spectacle which usually makes all the only part of the car and which keeps the viewer in suspense. In question ? The single-seater used by all the competitors: the Tatuus T-318. Not necessarily very well born, the car is intrinsically very heavy and not ideal for overtaking on the track, forcing the drivers to give everything at the start or to try hell in the race to gain positions. “ On a regular basis, and knowing that we don't have DRS, you need a delta of one and a half seconds per lap to overtake an opponent » we heard in the paddock last year.

To try to resolve this thorny question surrounding the show, the promoters of FRECA have decided to introduce an overtaking assistance system called Push-to-Pass, already used in other championships in the past or even today. hui (DTM, IndyCar or Indy Lights). Information that we revealed last October and which we are able to confirm at this time. 

In a document sent to the teams that AUTOhebdo obtained, we were able to obtain new details regarding the use of Push-to-pass. This “mechanism which allows additional engine performance to be triggered for a certain period of time when activated by the press of a button by the pilot” will only be usable under certain conditions. If they will be able to use it during the 2nd official free practice session, the drivers will have to do without it in qualifying. Otherwise, the individual caught in flagrante delicto will be canceled “all lap times achieved during the session concerned” in addition to receiving a “ minimum penalty of starting at the back of the grid for the next race in which the driver will participate ».

Regulated use

Authorized during racing, Push-to-Pass is limited to “only one activation before the start of the formation lap. » From the moment the mode is activated, the driver is only allowed 5 activations during the race and a maximum use of fifteen seconds is allowed with each press. The document sent to the teams nevertheless specifies that “ if it proves necessary to suspend the race, and only in this case, the competitor is authorized to reactivate Push To Pass mode (with five additional presses of a maximum of fifteen seconds each) before resuming the race, unless the message “Push To Pass disabled” is given by the race director. » Improper handling will result in disqualification from the race in question while a repeat offense will result in a start from the back of the grid during the following race.

On the other hand, its use in racing will be particularly supervised. Drivers will indeed have to do without Push-to-Pass in three scenarios. They will not have the right to activate it before the start of the 2nd lap of the race, for obvious safety reasons. After a Safety Car procedure they will also have to cross the start/finish line and hope that the Safety Car has withdrawn to use it again. Finally, " When a race resumes behind the safety car, the Push To Pass button cannot be pressed until the driver has crossed the finish line after the safety car has been removed,” we can read in the document. In the event of an infraction, the race management will impose a penalty at its discretion on the driver found guilty.