LMS Paul Ricard start (inc. 'dust-up' video)

[thebear]

It would seem that the pace car from the GT group forgot to pull off the track at the start and MAYHEM ensued.

Anyone have more information? .

[Bentley03]

Moved from Le Mans sub-forum (not sure what it was doing there?).

This was (understandably) much discussed yesterday on the race thread, but I would concur that the debacle probably warrants its own thread.

[Bodysnatcher]

Could it be that a safety car was required immediately - ie problem on the formation lap?

Then we have the problem of a race that has a pace car lap to a rolling start immediately going under safety car control.

The marshals posts both before and after the start line do seem to be waving yellows and possibly have safety car boards out. (except when they're about to be taken out at the post just after the start line)

Race start procedure could be lights to green and yellows and SC boards at marshals flag points. Would seem to fit this scenario, confusing but logical perhaps.

However I might have expected the pace car to go into the pits and let the field take off at the green lights and then allow the drivers time to notice the continual yellows.

Race drivers do get very focussed on the startline lights...

(but since I was'nt there and have only seen a short you tube clip I cannot comment on specifics in this case - more info required, could be that the field had to be under control at Turn one?)

[Bodysnatcher]

PS is'nt this Bernie's ultra safe electronic uber controlled circuit?

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by Bodysnatcher

Could it be that a safety car was required immediately - ie problem on the formation lap?

Correct(ish), 2 cars had problems on the formation lap (CRS and Race Performance). But, I believe both had rejoined before the lights went green.

[arakis]

marshals were waiving yelows. you can clearle see a marshal next to the white tent at the beging of the start finish straight waiving like mad, and another one after the start line

[The Badger]

Green lights were shown , at that point the driver would be focused on the lights .

Its just a monumental **** up , and its basically ruined the GT season . Porsche cant catch up with 4 more races on the schedule .

Im really disapointed , and still shocked that something like this could happen .

Why put out the pace car , a spinning car has to rejoin at the end of the field anyway , and was no danger . Perhaps a little more time to evaluate the issues should have been taken .

[Tim the Grey]

I wonder if it was a rooky Race Director? The Full course Yellow was flashed up a couple of times DURING the race, only to be switched off again within seconds.

Unless this is something that HTTT does automatically, until overridden by a Human Being?????

[courageous]

Compromise reached to somewhat help the teams that got their races & cars trashed - for GTE, the championship will now have 1 dropped score.

[GT6]

not much help but what else could they do, lets hope they learn something from this.

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by courageous

Compromise reached to somewhat help the teams that got their races & cars trashed - for GTE, the championship will now have 1 dropped score.

Where did ya hear that ?

If thats gospel , I think thats a fairly decent thing to do , considering .

[courageous]

planet le mans twitter

[Spyderman]

Basically saved the Championship and the organizers rear-end's (not only the teams)

[NightStalk3r]

Still puts the Porsche teams and Jota at a disadvantage.

[AGD]

Originally Posted by NightStalk3r

Still puts the Porsche teams and Jota at a disadvantage.

For sure, but I think it is fair. You can't scrap points for everyone during the race because that would ignore the results for the teams that did manage to do well.

[arakis]

Originally Posted by NightStalk3r

Still puts the Porsche teams and Jota at a disadvantage.

a lot less of a disadvantage the if they had to run the whole season with a 15pt deficit, ad they have real chance at wining it now. hte only disadvantage I see is that the porsche teams lost a chance to capitalise on Ferraris early day problems

[Woolley]

Shouldn't the green lights stay off if the start is aborted for any reason as that's the only thing the driver will be looking at? I'm not sure what the published procedure is, but that's the logical one else what we saw is almost inevitable.

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by AGD

For sure, but I think it is fair. You can't scrap points for everyone during the race because that would ignore the results for the teams that did manage to do well.

Ok , leave it as it is then , and there will be no competition . Ferrari will win the championship , that what you want ?

[neilwooding]

I have it on good authority that the organisers decided to have two formation laps and informed the teams but the operator of the starting lights. When the GT drivers saw the lights change to green, their instinct took over and they accelerated, hence the carnage...

[thebear]

Originally Posted by neilwooding

I have it on good authority that the organisers decided to have two formation laps and informed the teams but the operator of the starting lights. When the GT drivers saw the lights change to green, their instinct took over and they accelerated, hence the carnage...

Sounds plausible.

[Francis Albert]

Not sure if there was any message on the radio but there was definitely no message about a 2nd formation lap or SC start on the timing screens.

[cmk]

Sounds to me like the message that was not made clear was that the green lights would be displayed at the start of the race even if it was started under yellow, since the 6 hours were to begin at the end of the first formation lap. Seems this could be alleviated simply by showing both the green and yellow lights simultaneously if the race is started behind the pace car?

Many of the teams indicated that they had been given info over the radio that there was to be a 2nd formation lap. Given that the commentators were alluding to issues with the timing screen at the beginning of the race if memory serves, it can hardly be taken as gospel!

[Tourer]

Was very weird for sure - lights were out on the pace car but it stayed on track, officials had SC boards and yellow flags going at one of the flag points on the main straight and the gantry lights went to green.

Seems like a communications problem of epic proportions with chaos the end result.

Have the organisers made any statement about an investigation to ensure such things don't happen again or are they just kinda hiding behind closed doors?

[Graham Goodwin]

Originally Posted by neilwooding

I have it on good authority that the organisers decided to have two formation laps and informed the teams but the operator of the starting lights. When the GT drivers saw the lights change to green, their instinct took over and they accelerated, hence the carnage...

They did not inform the teams over the open radio channel provided for the purpose - Not one single team I spoke to - including several that weren't affected by the carnage, heard a call - There WAS a message on the bottom of the timing screens just as the first Pace car lap was being completed but who the hell would have been looking at the screens as the lights were about to go green?

Lessons need to be learnt - If the procedure was at fault it needs to be changed - If somebody made a mistake they need to be honest about it - We're lucky we're talking 'only' about damaged cars!

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by Graham Goodwin

- We're lucky we're talking 'only' about damaged cars!

Indeed.