22/03/2018
NEWS STORY
Fears that the Halo will restrict drivers’ visibility at the start of Sunday's Australian Grand Prix have led to the FIA repositioning the lights.
The move, which will be reflected at all other circuits, will see both the main starting lights and those positioned midway down the grid lowered in order that no driver's view is obstructed by the Halo which makes its race debut this weekend.
"With the halo what we've asked every circuit to do is to make the lights at a standard height above the track," revealed Charlie Whiting.
"We've also put a repeat set of lights, in this case off to the left, over the verge," he added. "Those repeat lights were normally halfway up the grid, and they were fitted round about 2009, when the rear wings became higher on the cars. Some drivers complained about not being able to see the main start lights, so that is when we introduced an extra set. But now the wings have been lowered, there's no need for those halfway up the grid so I've decided to utilise them somewhere else.
"Pole position seems to be the worst case scenario with the halo there," he admitted, "maybe the driver can't quite see the lights, or see only half of them, and he might have to move his head too much. But then he's got a repeat set of lights which are five metres further down."
In order to provide drivers with an opportunity to see the relocated start lights, practice starts from the grid will be allowed at the end of FP1 and FP2.
"We haven't normally allowed practice starts on the grid here because it's quite a tight timetable and things like that," said Whiting. "What I thought would be a good idea was to give the driver sight of those lights rather than have them look at them for the first time on Sunday evening."
Of course, if they'd tried the Aeroscreen...
Check out our Thursday gallery from Melbourne, here.