29/04/2023
NEWS STORY
Following a meeting between drivers and officials, the standing start procedure has been revised with immediate effect.
This morning, race director Niels Wittich announced that the following procedure for resuming a race with a standing start will apply for both the Sprint and Grand Prix this weekend.
• 10 Minutes Signal
• 5 Minutes Signal
• 3 Minutes Signal
• 2 Minutes - at which point lapped cars will leave the pit lane to complete one lap and return to the pit lane
• 1 Minute Signal
• 15 Seconds Signal
• Pit exit green light - the Safety Car will leave the pit lane with its lights on, lights will be extinguished after 1 second.
• 30 Seconds after the Safety Car has left the pit lane, all drivers leave the pit lane and proceed to the grid without overtaking.
• Standing Start Procedure
It's understood that the move follows the incidents at the second restart in Melbourne after which drivers complained of being unable to generate sufficient heat into their tyres.
The change currently only applies to this weekend in Baku, with the FIA and F1 set to meet with the teams in order to discuss a permanent solution.
"This procedure will mean that the safety car will leave the pit lane and then immediately extinguish its lights so that when the field exits the pit lane 30 seconds later, the pace will be dictated by the lead car on the lap to the grid," said an FIA spokesperson. "This updated procedure has been implemented to allow the drivers to manage their tyre temperatures more effectively ahead of the standing restart.
"The modification is a temporary measure," they added, "and the FIA together with the teams and FOM will discuss potential options to update the regulations related to this topic as a permanent solution to this issue."
Check out our Saturday gallery from Baku here.