Yep, I feel like an idiot now
That could work, dash on their wheels telling them when to go. Not as fun as a full race start though. Maybe drivers in the top 10 keep the gap, and then 11-20 start at the same time to avoid the Leaders catching them up again and have a mini start with the excitement that brings. It could work, I just don't like the idea of a red flag for every incident, 15 minutes waiting around for each restart, so would need to extend the race time limit. Mistakes made earlier in the race getting a free pass, replace front wings. Drivers getting out and stretching their legs. It removes a strategy decision. You know there is an incident, and VSC wont cut it, so stay out, wait for Red Flag, and then change tyres. Safety cars delay things bout 5-6ish minutes
I do enjoy safety car restarts, its a skill a racing driver needs. (I heard a rumour and not sure how true it is or not, but the Mercedes Anti-Stall has a high threshold than the Red Bull Anti-Stall, so when Lewis was going slow to back up the pack, he was trying to force Red Bulls Anti Stall to kick in, so he could sprint away, not sure how true it is, but shows how much Lewis is thinking on his feet if that's the case) Red Flag restarts are also fun, the start is one of the most exciting parts of the race. Ignoring the outcome and rights or wrongs, the last lap was really exciting at Abi Dhabi.
I am a little confused now though, I hate things like DRS or Reverse grids, but is Safety Cars and Red Flags any different. Maybe I just don't like change, although the current qualifying format works brilliantly.
Do I want a change in the rules to force the race to always finish under a green flag with the lead car losing its advantage in the future? If its in the rules, and you know its going to happen, you can plan for it. If its all equal on tyres, being at the front of the safety car is an advantage, but it is right you lose that lead when there is another solution which could keep it. I think I need more time to think about this.
I think safety cars are a integral part of F1, as fans, when our driver is having a bad day, we wish for something to happen to bring one out, when our car is out in front, its a worry that something is going to happen and cost our driver the win. I think its part of the fabric of F1, its not a gimmick, and therefore we should not be getting ready of it for something which might be considered fair. Tidy up the rules on how the race will finish when a safety car is out, so we avoid a repeat of Abi Dhabi, and move on. F1 would not be the same without the safety car or safety car restarts.
Just going on Wiki, I did not realise the safety car was not really a thing until 93. I only remember watching F1 from 95, I did watch races before 95 but don't really remember much apart from being amazed by it all and clearly not going to remember a safety car before then. First memory of a safety car is when the race started under it for the first time.
Going green on the last lap, First and Second, both on fresh tyres, all the back markers out the way, so third place can also attack. Who ever wins, wins the World Championship, is that not just the perfect way to end a year of racing? I guess only if your driver wins it. It will probably never happen again.
Motor Racing is an odd sport, You have qualifying to put the cars in to speed order, and then let them race, in F1 anyway. If the cars are in speed order already, they are going to finish in that order.
Luckily the drivers are human, and that can mix things up. You can not build a Qual and Race setup, so have to make compromises. You have a element of strategy with the tyre choice and when to make your pit stops. And you have the weather which can mix it up. Luck does play a part, do you run over some debris and get a puncture. Do you get involved in someone else's accident. Get stuck behind someone. Does something go wrong in the Pit Stops. Do you have a mechanical issue on the car.
Should something designed to keep the drivers, marshals and everyone at the race circuit safe, be allowed to impact the race result or is just just another part of the racing luck. If in 93 they could of done what pluk suggests, would they of done that, throw a red flag, use the gaps from the previous complete lap, and then set them off with those gaps intact. It might make the races less exciting, but it does feel like the right thing to do. But if that is the route we go down, all the gimmicks need to go. No point keeping one outside factor, but not the others.
Two hours later, can I just be a hypocrite and say keep the Safety Cars and Red Flags but scrap the other Gimmicks, even though it does not make sense and I cant justify it.
