We thought we’d heard the last of standing starts after safety car periods in Formula 1, but it looks like the new rule could be coming in 2017.
Having drivers line up on the grid for each race restart previously looked set to appear in 2015 but was then scrapped.
However, various reports suggest F1 teams have agreed to bring it back and introduce the regulation change for next year.
Maybe this is Bernie’s way of getting a few shorter races all in one day? Who knows, but standing restarts may end up being a thing.
Apparently all 11 teams met with Bernie Ecclestone in Abu Dhabi and there was unanimous agreement to bring standing starts on race restarts to F1.
This is in a bid to help improve the ‘show’ by making the restarts more unpredictable, as the F1 starts are often the most exciting and viewed parts of races.
It seems weird for a possible rule change that was scrapped for a number of reasons to come back to the table, and then to get complete agreement from all 11 teams too.
But it’s far from decided, anyway, because the rule still needs to be finalised before going to the Strategy Group and F1 Commission for approval.
Only then will it be able to go forward to the FIA World Motor Sport Council. Yeah, getting a new regulation in F1 is pretty complicated.