Safety Car Starts - *Possible Spoilers for todays event *
Discussion
Safety Car Starts:
Was it just me, or were extremely bored with the start of todays Chinese Grand Prix?
I fully understand the ‘reasons’ behind doing a safety car start - but surely, it would be better to postpone the race than to force spectators to such a dull, lifeless process as this?
Thankfully I had the race recorded and so FF x6 as the cars just went round, and round.
I couldn’t get to admire them as it was too wet, and I couldn’t hear them because the gigalo does not know when to shut up.
I’m all for having a SC within a race, and even ending a race - but not starting it !
I hate rolling starts as it is; so to see this really peed me off!
Rules are in place for how long a race can last, so postponing it would not make a huge difference, imo.
Part of F1 is the start: watching the cars accelerate at astronomical speed/ diving in, out, swerving to avoid; cutting corners, going in deep, wide, ouit-braking. Block people: attacking, defending, hitting the wrong button, stalling, crashing etc etc. All of this before a single lap has been completed? Why miss out on this?
I’ve checked the other thread and couldn’t see a rant about the SC start, so have posted this.
Was it just me, or were extremely bored with the start of todays Chinese Grand Prix?
I fully understand the ‘reasons’ behind doing a safety car start - but surely, it would be better to postpone the race than to force spectators to such a dull, lifeless process as this?
Thankfully I had the race recorded and so FF x6 as the cars just went round, and round.
I couldn’t get to admire them as it was too wet, and I couldn’t hear them because the gigalo does not know when to shut up.
I’m all for having a SC within a race, and even ending a race - but not starting it !
I hate rolling starts as it is; so to see this really peed me off!
Rules are in place for how long a race can last, so postponing it would not make a huge difference, imo.
Part of F1 is the start: watching the cars accelerate at astronomical speed/ diving in, out, swerving to avoid; cutting corners, going in deep, wide, ouit-braking. Block people: attacking, defending, hitting the wrong button, stalling, crashing etc etc. All of this before a single lap has been completed? Why miss out on this?
I’ve checked the other thread and couldn’t see a rant about the SC start, so have posted this.
elster said:
Why not for starting it?
It helps to dry the track out a bit as well.
reasons for why not have been mentioned in my little rant It helps to dry the track out a bit as well.
but for drying out the track; could they not start the race as normal afterwards?
once the circuit has some dry lines appearing; line the cars up on the grid and start as normal?
i agree it takes away the best part of the race and the most concentrated burst of excitement - but i don't think you have much of a choice when there's that much spray.
National races will give you 2 green flag laps if conditions change from qualifying to the race time - but it doesn't make it much safer.
National races will give you 2 green flag laps if conditions change from qualifying to the race time - but it doesn't make it much safer.
mically said:
Safety Car Starts:
Was it just me, or were extremely bored with the start of todays Chinese Grand Prix?
I fully understand the ‘reasons’ behind doing a safety car start - but surely, it would be better to postpone the race than to force spectators to such a dull, lifeless process as this?
SC starts are a bore, and I didn't think it looked too bad, but what do I know, but postponing the start is bad for TV, by that I mean it seems clear that Bernie and his TV contracts leave him with a two hour window that the race must be started and completed in, and the conditions did not moderate today for a about half the race. And that seems to be the modern way. And I'd have felt short changed if we'd waited an hour for an hours racing, plus I think it was 5pm local time, and starting to get dark again at the finish...Was it just me, or were extremely bored with the start of todays Chinese Grand Prix?
I fully understand the ‘reasons’ behind doing a safety car start - but surely, it would be better to postpone the race than to force spectators to such a dull, lifeless process as this?
Other than the safety aspects it's about TV time. There wouldn't be a time limit if the start of the race was delayed - there is only a limit to the time that a race can last for so if it hasn't started there is no time limit.
The TV providers only have a certain amount of airtime and missing that slot will result in the race not being shown in many countries.
The TV providers only have a certain amount of airtime and missing that slot will result in the race not being shown in many countries.
Regardless of the TV rights and wrongs and the fact that I can't stand them myself (so anti climatic) They are necessary on safety grounds sometimes. My only issue this week was that they let it go on for so long. I would have thought 2 laps under yellows and then green would have been the call. That said unless you are there on the ground you can't tell at all.
You would be astounded how appalling some of the conditions I have filmed in have been and yet when you play the footage back you wonder if it really was the same place!
You would be astounded how appalling some of the conditions I have filmed in have been and yet when you play the footage back you wonder if it really was the same place!
Slightly O/T question but I don't think it's worth starting a new thread:
Is there any truth in Safety Car being faster - more comfortable, really - than the F1 cars in the wet? I know the Safety Car usually has to driven near to its limit maintain a safe speed for the F1 cars (for the brakes, engine cooling, etc) but I've been told the drivers had to ask for the Safety Car to slow down as its extra weight made it more comfortable at speed in the wet whereas the F1 cars were supposedly struggling to keep up?
Is there any truth in Safety Car being faster - more comfortable, really - than the F1 cars in the wet? I know the Safety Car usually has to driven near to its limit maintain a safe speed for the F1 cars (for the brakes, engine cooling, etc) but I've been told the drivers had to ask for the Safety Car to slow down as its extra weight made it more comfortable at speed in the wet whereas the F1 cars were supposedly struggling to keep up?
ninja-lewis said:
Slightly O/T question but I don't think it's worth starting a new thread:
Is there any truth in Safety Car being faster - more comfortable, really - than the F1 cars in the wet? I know the Safety Car usually has to driven near to its limit maintain a safe speed for the F1 cars (for the brakes, engine cooling, etc) but I've been told the drivers had to ask for the Safety Car to slow down as its extra weight made it more comfortable at speed in the wet whereas the F1 cars were supposedly struggling to keep up?
In some conditions yes it can be, but only in truly biblical rain storms. I think that the race you are talking about was the German GP in '07. Is there any truth in Safety Car being faster - more comfortable, really - than the F1 cars in the wet? I know the Safety Car usually has to driven near to its limit maintain a safe speed for the F1 cars (for the brakes, engine cooling, etc) but I've been told the drivers had to ask for the Safety Car to slow down as its extra weight made it more comfortable at speed in the wet whereas the F1 cars were supposedly struggling to keep up?
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