Quote:
Originally Posted by Colin McKay
Are you sure you'e got that right Mike? In the example you gave, cars behind you that cross the line after the green flags go out would be allowed to overtake you, but you can't retaliate. Or am I missing something?
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Correct Colin, That could happen.
Quote:
Originally Posted by one-two
Mike, I think the scenario you describe can only happen if, for some reason, the field is very spread out. If I understand it, the safety car is coming in when you are still the best part of a lap behind it? The solution is surely a tighter formation behind the safety car - maybe it needs to go slower or be out for longer to achieve that
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Often as not, the field will be spread out, however hard race control try to control it, but no-one wants the SC to be out any longer than absolutely necessary. For example, a car stops in a dangerous spot with a mechanical issue. The SC is deployed, but the car fires up again and continues. You can't leave the SC out for several laps with a 60 car field until there is a train. For more than one reason, some cars / drivers do not catch up the train. We had a situation couple of years back where the whole of the pitwall, including marshals, were frantically trying to get one driver to go quicker, as the SC was catching them up.....
Quote:
Originally Posted by one-two
I think that's the point - the SC effectively has to go at a speed that everyone can exceed or the grid won't close up behind it. I can see that could be tricky in situations with big speed differentials
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The issue is more likely in a grid where there are big lap time differences. In a one make grid it shouldn't be such a problem.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER
I know how I feel, after a SC period at Spa I was held up behind a car that was actually lapping 30 seconds slower than the safety car and the race was completely "sodded up" as I lost the guys that I was racing with. I would have though that in a case like this the marshals should have been instructed to wave us by ?
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Yes. Despite the regulation in my last post stating overtaking 'strictly prohibited', if a car is lapping slowly due to a problem, it is normally acceptable for the driver to wave other cars past, but the marshals are not really in a position to make that decision?
I'm still looking for any reason why the regulation was adopted, rether than the alternative of racing to start as soon as green flags are waved!
