Aborted start rule change

[Remus]

I've read this a number of times now, and still can't quite understand the thinking behind it. According to Autosport today,
"cars which fail to start [from the dummy grid] will be left on the grid. Waved yellows will alert the other drivers to the position of the car on the grid".
I KNOW this means they will be removed by marshals during the warm up lap, but it seems unnecessarily pressured and dangerous when surely the most obvious thing is to abort the start and let the car be removed safely before anybody leaves the grid, rather than during a frantic 3 minutes, where the driver also has to dash to a T-car and be strapped in double quick. The incident at Indy with Montoya shows this is a ridiculously rushed way to send a driver out in an F1 car. Surely allowing them to be fitted into the car within a 10 minute period is much safer and better for the drives mental state before he roars up to the back of the grid at the first corner?
From a spectators point of view, I feel an aborted start only serves to highten the tension and prolong the most exciting 10 minutes of the whole afternoon.
Another nod to great God TV? At a time when the FIA are constantly banging on about the safety issue, this just smacks of a home goal to me. Anybody see this differently?

[Adam43]

Are you suggesting that if ever a car can't start the warm-up lap they should abandon the start? and have a ten minute break?

I'm not sure that is a good idea. I feel they should try and keep as many drivers in the race as possible, but the start is the start.

What happens if we have two or three aborted starts?

Or worse still deliberate restarts because something else isn't right, or to put pressure on another's car with dubious reliability (unlikely I know). However many restarts could actually stop others getting to the end. Again, perhaps a little OTT.

I too get annoyed by this situation where we can't have restarts and must run the race for TV, however I think this may be a little too far.

[Adam43]

Off topic, but Autosport says "the begining of the race was delayed by 10 minutes after Juan Pablo Montoya's car failed to start". Is it me, but I don't remember any delay.

[Remus]

What I'm suggesting is that if a car is stationary on an F1 race track seconds before the warm-up lap, it is better that it is removed safely by marshals, and that if a driver is to be installed in a spare car it should not be done after a run to his pit and frantic pulling and tugging on belts, which may not be set for him, by his mechanics.
I take your point about teams using the start to knobble the opposition. Sad, and cynical, but true - shame we have to have rules that over-ride common sense because the sense of sport has been taken out of motorsport at this level.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally posted by AdamAshmore
Off topic, but Autosport says "the begining of the race was delayed by 10 minutes after Juan Pablo Montoya's car failed to start". Is it me, but I don't remember any delay.

It's definitely you. They started a week later and Jenson won.

Or was that a dream?

Maybe there was no delay but the race was held on a Friday?

Hmm, that doesn't work either.

What were you saying?

[Knowlesy]

You can't abandon the start due to stalls because people will use it to their advantage. For example, they may have a car problem and need it rectified and so conveniently stall. That's why the rule was brought in!

[Adam43]

Originally posted by Remus
What I'm suggesting is that if a car is stationary on an F1 race track seconds before the warm-up lap, it is better that it is removed safely by marshals, and that if a driver is to be installed in a spare car it should not be done after a run to his pit and frantic pulling and tugging on belts, which may not be set for him, by his mechanics.
I take your point about teams using the start to knobble the opposition. Sad, and cynical, but true - shame we have to have rules that over-ride common sense because the sense of sport has been taken out of motorsport at this level.

Those two things are true. I think that the car can be removed safely by Marshals on most grids in the time it takes the warm-up lap to happen. Although I'm not 100% keen on the yellow flag amrshals if they are lighting up their tyres. Still the gaps are quite large between cars. They have already used that - remember Schumacher and the '98 Japanese GP.

As for giving the driver more time? Hmm, well his car failed, he shouldn't be rewarded for that. However I would like to see him in the race (from the back of the grid/pit lane?). Which is why I thought it a shame in Indy. The 15s rule wasn't particular invented too stop a driver getting off the grid and I don't think he did anything dangerous, but I guess you need some cut-off point.

[BootsOntheSide]

Teh change seems to me to make sense. Not much has really changed, other than allowing drivers to take the start from the pitlane even after their race car has failed. A 10-minute delay for a car failing to start on the dummy grid seems ridiculous - the situation can be sorted out in seconds. If you really find it excitign to have to wait longer for the start then that's a very strange mindset in action

[Kicking-back]

Adam, I was confused by the article too - that ten minute delay never happened.

Perhaps they were thinking about Monaco.

[Remus]

"If you really find it excitign to have to wait longer for the start then that's a very strange mindset in action "

I honestly believe that on most weekends the most tense/exciting part of the afternoon is the build up to the lights going out. As a mate of mine constantly reminds me, "In life, 9/10 of the pleasure is always in the anticipation." Certainly with F1, I think there is something in what he says.

You're probably all right, the rules do seem to make sense on reflection. I just get wound up about having to have minute rules to cover every-eventuality when surely what we should have are consistant stewards who can use their judgement and common sense to view each and every circumstance on its own merits. Surely Charlie Whiting has the sense to call it as he sees fit, which hopefully he will continue to do.
Before you all shout, I know this is F1 and there is no chance of this because the stakes/budgets/egos/levels of cunning etc are too high, but you have to admit it would be a nice ideal.

[Kicking-back]

We do need minute rules to cover every eventuality - or the teams would be arguing the toss endlessly.

I still think it's bizarre you prefer the minutes before the race to the actual race, but there you go!

[BootsOntheSide]

Come to think of it, waiting for sex is said to be more exciting than the actual action (I wouldn't know), so maybe there is justification for it.

[DSM]

The fact is that these days races are so often an anti-climax that the anticipation is often be more exciting.

[Remus]

Very off topic this, but I am genuinely curious.
When I submit a post, it often seems the other thread contributors manage to answer almost instantly. Do you respond to email notifications? How many hours a day do you guys spend seaching these things? I have read a number of forum pages almost every day for the last 3 or so years, and in that time managed to find time to post a whopping 78 times. I'n not being rude, but how many hours a day do you do this for? I must be in the wrong job/marrage.

[Remus]

Yes, that should be marriage... Thank goodness its Friday.

[Kicking-back]

Originally posted by BootsOntheSide
Come to think of it, waiting for sex is said to be more exciting than the actual action (I wouldn't know), so maybe there is justification for it.

That's not true!

[Adam43]

Originally posted by Remus
Very off topic this, but I am genuinely curious.
When I submit a post, it often seems the other thread contributors manage to answer almost instantly.

Well there are a lot of us around, however as you mention some people's post count is quite high.

Often this is because there are a lot of quick replies rather than discussion as such.

Generally it is just because some spend more time here. Jobs that allow ten-tenths to be on in the background. Home life that allows the computer to be on in the background. Or dedicated trolling! If you've been around three years you'd only have to post once day on average to hit 1000. There is lots to discuss, not just F1, but all the other aspects of motor racing. I've posted in most forums, but there are some I am very regular visiter too.

In addition there are periods where discussion happen more quickly - i.e. when something has happened.

Whatever 78 posts? Well its quality not quantity that counts.