Why wasn't the safety car used for starting Spa 98 does anyone know?

[Yoong Montoya]

They used it at the start of the 97 race when it was very wet, but in 98, when it was also very wet, the start was a normal one, and the biggest F1 pile up ever happened after T1.

Anyone know why the safety car wasn't used at the start of the 98 race? Must be because they didn't want Spa to gain a reputation for rolling starts.

[Sodemo]

It should not have been used. Most if not all drivers were on wet tyres so, in my view, the safety car should not start any race, and the fact that they started the 2000 race (when it wasn't raining, just a damp track) under the safety car was a total farce in my view.

[Valve Bounce]

It is my view that the safety car should be used only when necessary during a race. The reason it was used to start a race was to meet TV schedules, which is the stupedist reason. If a start needs the safety car, then the race should not be started at all. Who the heck wants to see cars going round and round behind a safety car? Unfortunately, there is no mechanism in F1 for postponing a race.

Valve

[Lee Janotta]

It wasn't used because REAL men don't let things like rain, fog, snow, nighttime, plagues of frogs or locusts, or declarations of war interrupt their racing!

[f1manoz]

I don't think safety cars should be used at the start unless the conditions are absolutely diabolical.

Concerning 1998, that was just a simply chain reaction thanks to DC throwing it in the wall. The safety car wasn't necessary.

[Evilsenna]

The safety car is used when there is standing water
on the track, I guess that was the case in 1997 but
not in 1998