http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OelpU41kmHU&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Just another argument to BAN standing start in competition and only allow FLYING start. They will never learn. How many lives does it takes before the sporting authorities BAN this starting procedure one and for all!!
No one was hurt according to Luiz Razia, the driver of the car that hit Dani Clos who was in the stalled car.
They can be if they are not properly disciplined, but the possibility of cars hitting a stationary vehicle at full speed will always be present with standing starts. Some flying starts are quite messy, I do agree, because some drivers do not keep positions and the starter is influenced to drop the green flag anyhow. The call is his. He can send the cars back for another lap or even cancel the start and give some penalties to competitors who refuse to comply with the rules.
Maybe from a aesthetic point of view? Myself, I have always envied the rolling start Indy style. Look safer to me. It you look at old endurance races, they used to have Le Mans starts, with drivers running across the track, jumping in their cars and starting 'en masse' in an indescribable melee. That may look spectacular now, but the risks wouldn't tolerated now either...
Every aspect of the start is exciting. The sound, drama, speed & danger. It's always been the best part of an F1, or GP2 race....
+1000 With the current no overtaking conditions during an F1 race, the standing start and the first 2 laps are the only exciting ones. Btw, wasn't there anyone waving the yellow flags to warn other drivers? the last time i recall seeing this type of crash was i think the 2001 Germany GP at Hockenheim...
That was the whole idea of adding the starting lights. As soon as that car stalled, the starter should have immediately hit the button turning the lights to yellow, which I believe is the signal for an aborted start. There was certainly enough time between the stall and the impact for the start to have been aborted.
Remember Indy a decade ago. Cold day, laps under the pace car were slow, tires got cold, 6 restarts in a row resulted in accidents in turn 1. The problem is there is a turn at the end of the straight where they start the cars! <tounge in cheek>
The standing start adds one dimension of the "unknown" to the race. Flying starts are very predictable. Now, no one wants any driver hurt. But, racing itself is inherently dangerous so there will always be some risk. This is the delicate balance we always face with any form of sports. What maybe needs to happen is some kind of radio cut off engines so that if the starter sees a stalled car, all motors are immediately cut to say 20% power. Or, some kind of warning on the dash lights of a stalled car ahead so that the drivers know there's a problem. It's pretty easy for the starter to see a stalled car on the grid. I think there has to be a better way of making the outcome of such events safer without removing them entirely is possible.
So the whole field could be doing about 210 mph by the time they got to the first corner, all @ the same time. Brilliant man, just brilliant!
They went from standing starts to flying starts in AMA Pro Roadracing in 2009... it sucked! Totally ruined one of the most exciting aspects of the race! They re-introduced the standing starts after one year... I guess after all the fan/competitors complaints they had to.
A little dramatic maybe? The last standing start death in F1 was in 1982 when rookie Paletti starting at the back of the field hit Pironi's stalled Ferrari at the Canadian GP.
I love the old LeMans start, it embodies charisma and drama in a race, perfect for F1 today, imho . I can't believe it's considered outdated or more dangerous than a standing start. If you think about how it works, the result of a car stalling on the grid is negligible in a classic LM start. The sprinter/driver belts up then if a gear is missed or no ignition or clutch mishap, whatever...no problem. I witnessed the Riccardo Paletti accident first hand in Canada and since that time, I've believed standing starts were a relic from the Vanderbilt Cup era and needed eradication, especially when considering the countless array of safety advancements we've seen mandated in F1 since 1982.
+ a million!!!!! I hate nothing more than rolling starts behind the SC in F1 On a different note: I was happy to notice that I haven't forgotten all my French... C'est ci bon! PS: Mods should move this thread to other racing
You know i thought about starting it in a different area, but gp2 gets no coverage on these forums, and I thougt it would be more relevant here....
No worries. If the mods move it, fine. If not, so be it. The other racing forum could use some action though