Intervention on the regulation
The 10 Formula 1 teams and the FIA agreed, in the latest F1 Commission, to finally intervene regarding the gray area that had been created in some initial situations. In fact, situations had recently occurred in which, although it was clear from the television images that a single-seater had moved before the five red lights went out, the commissioners had not been able to intervene with a sanction because the sensor responsible for detecting ‘false starts’ had not detected any anomalies.
The Norris case
The most striking episode was the one involving Lando Norris at the start of the Saudi Arabian GP of this season. The McLaren standard-bearer had clearly moved in advance on the pitch, as also noticed live by his compatriot George Russell who started alongside him, but he had not received any sanction because the sensor had not ‘tripped’. Now the sporting regulations have been changed precisely to avoid similar episodes.
Now just the ‘TV test’
First of all, the paragraph dedicated to the departure in the regulations has changed its name, going from “Wrong starting position” to “False start“. Furthermore, the case has been added whereby the penalty is imposed if the car “has moved after the four-second light comes on and before the starting signal is given by turning off all the red lights“. This regardless of the feedback provided by the transponders. Therefore, if another ‘Norris case’ were to reoccur now, with a clear movement of the car with the red lights on, the penalty would be triggered.
Similar situations had also occurred in the past Valtteri Bottas and Sebastian Vettel, at the time of their respective militancy in Mercedes and Ferrari. Both had moved – albeit slightly – their car before the ‘start’, without however activating the sensor which was supposed to certify the infringement.
