Formula One saw its share of dramatic changes in 2014, with some of the most controversial rules changes of the 21st century. Despite being highly criticized this season, the FIA is at it again. A number of changes for the 2015 Formula One season have been announced. Among them we see a decrease in the number of power units per season, a decrease in the amount of time allowed for wind tunnel testing, an increase in Friday night curfew and a number of technical regulation changes. But the change that has kept the fans and experts talking is the new standing restarts.
Normally in Formula One, we see a local caution when a driver has an accident. However, when things get bad we can see a full course yellow with the Mercedes safety car leading the way. Since its introduction into the world of Formula One in 1993, drivers have been seeing more and more of the safety car. The safety car is designed to slow and stack the field, to give the safety workers a safer environment while they work to clear the scene of an accident. After the debris is cleared and the safety workers are off of the track, it is time to get back to racing. The restart of a race has been done the same for 21 seasons; the safety car pulls into the pits and the drivers are already moving when they cross the line. Things will be done quite differently in the 2015 season. Next year, instead of having what is known as a “rolling start”, the cars will return back to the grid and perform what is known as a “standing restart”.
Personally, I think that the standing restart is the best idea the FIA has come up with in quite some time. With the 2014 rolling restarts, we see drivers spread out with a massive gap between each other. This means that the drivers need to chase down the guy in front all over again. Even if they were on their gearbox before the caution, they still restart with a huge gap and will need to spend several laps to come within overtaking distance. With the drivers now taking off from the grid, we will surely see many exciting battles right off the line. Anyone who was witnessed the start of a Grand Prix knows about the action and drama that occurs when the pack first gets going. Drivers dive up the inside, they go wheel to wheel, and they make contact. It is all sorts of fun and really gets the fans’ hearts pumping.
Of course, with every positive comes a negative. With the new restarts, we could see more first corner accidents that may collect other drivers. Potentially, we might see the safety car more often when drivers get into these first corner accidents on the restart. Despite these negative effects, I still believe that the restarts for the 2015 season will vastly improve the sport. Good call FIA.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer or company. Assumptions made in any analysis contained within this article are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the author.
