(Marc Surer - Sky Germany) The first session was quite confusing. What is driving advice? What is technical advice? What is allowed and what not?
Charlie Whiting: First of all, have you seen the Technical Directive that I sent?

MS: No.
CW: Well then you're at a bit of a disadvantage! On that particularly question Marc, it's quite straightforward really. If a team informs a driver to change his brake balance, that's absolutely fine, provided it's not for a specific part of the circuit. So, in other words, one click forward for turn five and two clicks backward for turn 10, those are the sort of things we consider to be driver coaching, assisting the driver, whereas, a global change to the brake balance, or any other similar parameter on the car, would be for overall performance, which is fine. It's just the driver coaching element of it that we want to stop first of all.

(Jonathan Noble - Autosport) Can you say what prompted the decision to impose this radio clampdown for this weekend? What were the specific things that were discussed with the teams yesterday that made you realise you couldn't go as far as you'd wished to in the build-up to this weekend?
CW: What prompted it in the first place? A culmination of things really. It was becoming apparent that more and more was being done for the drivers and quite simply that is at odds with Article 20.1 of the regulations. We felt that this should extend to both car performance and driver-related parameters but when one looks into it in more detail it became quite clear that some teams would be at a serious disadvantage compared to others, not just in their know-how or in their ability to react in the short term, but also with hardware choices that were made a year ago. I think you're familiar with the two types of dashboard that are available to the teams. One will simply show a great deal more than the other. In the interests of fairness, we felt that with hindsight it would be better to introduce it in two stages and that's what we've done now.

(Ian Parkes - Press Association) Why did you do it now though? Why didn't you wait until the start of the next season? Wouldn't that have been far easier than introducing this with six races remaining?
CW: Yes, it would have been easier, but I think when it comes to enforcing a rule then things have to be done. It's as simple as that. Yes, of course it would have been easier but I think if you see or hear something that you uncomfortable with, with regard to whether it conforms to the rules or not, you have to do something about it. That's our job.

(Dieter Rencken - Racing Lines) Charlie, following on from John asked. Who initially instigated this? Was it an FIA or a commercial rights issue? Because we believe that the commercial rights holder said he had something to do with it as well.
CW: It was an issue that came up in the Strategy Group meeting in Monza.

DR: From the commercial rights holder?
CW: I think it's not for me to say what goes on in those meetings. It was something that emerged from that meeting in Monza.

(Mathias Brunner - Speedweek.com) Charlie, did you hear anything in free practice one which was questionable to you, (a), and (b) what would the possible fine be if a team does something wrong?
CW: First of all, no, we didn't hear anything that was remotely questionable. Teams were playing it very, very carefully, I think because they didn't want to step over the mark. I think it's not for me to actually say what the penalty might be because it's a matter for the stewards of course. All I would do is report to the stewards a possible contravention of Article 20.1 and they would then decide what the penalty would be. I think it would have to be a sporting penalty rather than a monetary one, however. I would imagine it would be something along those lines. If it happened in a race I think it might be - I emphasise might be - a five-second time penalty for example. If it happened in practice it might be a grid position or something. But I think a sporting penalty as opposed to a monetary one.

(Jonathan McEvoy - Daily Mail) Might it be that we spend a long time after the race resolving these things? Is that a danger you're worried about?
CW: No. We listen to these things in real time and if we hear anything... Don't forget that teams listen to each other intently. We'll hear, don't worry, and we won't have to trawl through hours of radio conversation to find out if there's anything wrong.

JM: Just for example, if six of these land on the stewards' desk at one go that there might be backlog as they go through them.
CW: Well, unfortunately that would always be the case if there were any six enquiries that the stewards had to look into but it's rare, though, I think you'll admit.

(Ben Anderson - Autosport) Is there a plan to simplify regulating radio communication going forward for next season and maybe go further, rather than having this complicated 'some things are allowed, some things aren't'?
CW: The plan is to make it more far reaching, to take in the technical elements of it as well, the technical assistance that the driver is getting about the performance of the car as well. It will inevitable become more complex but unfortunately I think that is how the sport is. I think it's going to be very hard to make it simpler, unless of course one was to remove radios from the car, for example, but I think that might not be very well received.

Inaudible follow-up question
CW: But the teams have still go to use it. I don't think a standard radio system would help. The teams will still use and obviously we are faced with all manner of complications, such as coded messages for example, and those are the sorts of things we'll have to deal with between now and the start of next season.

(David Croft - Sky Sport UK) Couple of points Charlie: 22 drivers, 11 teams, how many people have you got monitoring the radio traffic during each session?
CW: In total, probably about eight, but it's quite straightforward to listen to three or four. They don't normally all talk at the same time but it's being recorded, so if we were to miss something we could easily go back and find it very quickly.