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Software Glitch Robs Formula 1 World Champ of Season's First Win (theregister.co.uk)
Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton was left fuming after a software glitch denied him an easy win in the first race of the 2018 season on Sunday. From a report: Hamilton held a comfortable lead in Australia's Melbourne grand prix from the start. After pitting for fresh rubber ahead of the Ferraris of Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel, Hamilton looked set for an easy win. Then both of the American Haas team's cars had to be taken off the circuit after their wheel nuts became loose. That triggered a virtual safety car (VSC). The VSC is a fairly new concept: while active, the drivers have to slow down, they cannot overtake, and they must not go below minimum times for each circuit sector. Failure to follow the rules will result in penalties. This is all done to preserve the race state while giving safety marshals time to clear debris or vehicles off the track.
While the VSC was active on Sunday, second-placed Vettel ducked into the pit lane, where the virtual car's speed rules did not apply, picked up fresh tires, and emerged ahead of Hamilton to take first place. Vettel was able to do this because Hamilton's car software miscalculated the minimum sector time according to the VSC rules, causing the Brit to slow down more than was necessary. The code thought Vettel would spend 15 seconds in the pits; the Ferrari driver and his team took just 11 seconds.
While the VSC was active on Sunday, second-placed Vettel ducked into the pit lane, where the virtual car's speed rules did not apply, picked up fresh tires, and emerged ahead of Hamilton to take first place. Vettel was able to do this because Hamilton's car software miscalculated the minimum sector time according to the VSC rules, causing the Brit to slow down more than was necessary. The code thought Vettel would spend 15 seconds in the pits; the Ferrari driver and his team took just 11 seconds.
Seems like an oversight of the VSC requirements. If the goal is to preserve the race state and pit stops are somehow exempted, then that seems like a loophole.
It shouldn't be 'guessing' what the pit time is going to be to slow down for, it should be some mandatory amount.
XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
... this is why I'm not watching F1 anymore.
"Science will win because it works." - Stephen Hawking
The thing is that whether or not it would be in software, his team told the driver that Vettel would be longer in the pitstops than they expected.
His team should've been looking out for the actual pitstop time, so they could correctly pace the safety car, even if the software was giving him an estimate of 12-16s which is the average, if the team does exceptionally well or they decide last minute not to change 4 tires and fill up completely (which some pit stops have been done in 2-3s range) he's going to be overtaken.
In the end, it was a great pitstop and his team miscalculated, whether or not the computer miscalculated, there is an entire team of people that can see and communicate in advance that 'you better catch up now'.
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it's not the code it's gaming the rules of the event
It's also a clarion call to stop referring to auto racing as a sport. Once win-lose status comes down to software, it should not be permissible to refer to a race as a "sporting event."
Sport (noun): an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.
Winning requires precision and talent from the entire team. The drivers are phenomenal athletes - racing an F1 car is not just sitting there and turning the wheel, it's physically extremely demanding. The racing is to entertain the entire fanbase.
Sounds like this fits the definition of sport perfectly.