What happens under Full Course Yellow and the Safety Car in GT World Challenge

When something goes wrong on track in GT World Challenge Europe, the Race Director has two main tools: the Full Course Yellow and the Safety Car. Here is how both work under the 2026 Sporting Regulations, and why they matter so much for pit stop strategy.

What is a Full Course Yellow?

The Race Director declares a Full Course Yellow (FCY) when a car is stopped in a dangerous place, when recovery vehicles or marshals work near the track, or in similar situations (article 39.4). A countdown is announced on team radio and the timing screens. Once the FCY boards are out, every car must drive at 80 km/h in single file, and overtaking is forbidden. Speeds are monitored and there is no tolerance.

What is the difference between a long and a short FCY?

In a long FCY the pit lane stays open, with 80 km/h also applying on the pit entry and exit roads. When the problem is solved, the Safety Car usually comes out (article 39.4 a).

In a short FCY the pit entry is closed. Cars already committed to the pit lane when the closure is called may make a normal stop. Any other car may only make an emergency stop: for fuel, a puncture, a mechanical problem, accident damage or a driver about to exceed the stint time. An emergency stop allows at most three seconds of refuelling, and the car may only complete one green-flag lap before it must come back for an extra stop lasting at least the minimum refuelling time (article 39.4 b). In the Sprint Cup a short FCY is only used outside the pit window (article 439).

How does the Safety Car work?

The Safety Car is called when vehicles or workers are on track, barriers are damaged or medical help is needed (article 40). After an FCY it joins with its lights off, passes cars until it reaches the leader and then switches its lights on. The field must stay within five car lengths of each other, and overtaking is only allowed in specific cases, such as cars entering or leaving the pits. Laps behind the Safety Car count as race laps (article 40.2).

What is a wave-by?

At the six-hour race and the 24 Hours of Spa, the Race Director may allow a wave-by at the end of a long FCY. Cars that have their class leader behind them in the queue may pass the Safety Car and rejoin at the back, so that each class can form up behind its own leader. The pit entry is closed during the procedure. Pro cars never get a wave-by, and there is none in the first 30 minutes or the last 90 minutes of a race (article 240).

Why does an FCY change the strategy?

In Endurance races every driver has a maximum stint time. If an FCY or Safety Car period falls in a stint, the longer extended stint time applies (article 118.4). While the field runs at 80 km/h, a car in the pit lane loses less ground to its rivals than under green flags, so the timing of an FCY can reshape a race.