Mastering the race start when the lights go out can shape the outcome of a Grand Prix—and sometimes even define an entire career.
The start of a Formula 1 Grand Prix is widely recognized as one of the most crucial moments of any race, but also one of the most stressful for the driver behind the wheel. A poor launch can undo all the hard work done in qualifying, while a perfect getaway can lead to unexpected gains and valuable points compared to Saturday’s grid position. Over the decades, starting procedures in Formula 1 have undergone significant changes. In the early 1990s, for example, drivers relied on what could be described as an “old-school start,” complete with a manual clutch pedal: the driver had to keep the engine revs high with the throttle while carefully releasing the clutch, trying to avoid excessive wheel spin—or worse, stalling the engine.
F1 – Michael Schumacher and his struggles at the start
It was during this era that one of the greatest drivers in Formula 1 history, Michael Schumacher, became known for some of his poor race starts. The German driver did not always get it wrong at lights out, but given his extraordinary ability in almost every other aspect—from qualifying pace to race performance—his difficulties at the start stood out as a clear “Achilles’ heel.”
Among the various incidents, the most emblematic remains the 1998 Japanese Grand Prix. Starting from pole position in the decisive title-deciding race, Schumacher stalled his engine at the beginning of the second formation lap. As a result, he was forced to start from the back of the grid, ultimately losing the championship to Mika Häkkinen.
Mark Webber and that small issue with height
The German champion is not alone. In more recent times, Mark Webber is another notable example. The Australian driver became infamous—unfortunately for him—for his slow race starts, often losing positions in the opening meters. One of the contributing factors was his height (1.84m), which made it more difficult to manage the Red Bull clutch system effectively.
Lando Norris: a problem solved thanks to the new cars?
Fast-forwarding to the modern era, we must also consider the reigning World Champion. The McLaren driver made so many poor starts that questions about his launch technique became inevitable whenever he secured a front-row position. However, looking at the current season, Lando Norris appears to have rediscovered confidence at the start. In the races he has contested so far, he has demonstrated consistently strong launches. Could this improvement be linked to the new starting systems?
Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen join the list
Speaking of drivers struggling off the line, the Mercedes driver must also be mentioned. So far, he has managed to avoid mistakes only at the start of the Chinese Grand Prix, where he also secured his first career victory. On that occasion, Antonelli managed to mentally reset his starting procedure after a costly mistake in the Sprint race the day before, delivering a flawless launch. Unfortunately, this remains an isolated case for now, but as he stated after the Japanese Grand Prix, he is already working to improve this aspect.
Under the new regulations, Max Verstappen is undoubtedly going through a difficult period from a sporting perspective. For the sake of completeness, it should be noted that the Dutch driver had already experienced questionable starts in the past—Monza 2021 being one example. However, he is now making repeated mistakes at lights out in a way rarely seen before in his career. Watching his onboard footage can be striking at times, as multiple cars overtake him from both sides in the opening meters.
F1 – When the start ends a career
This brings us to the case of Marco Apicella, who is remembered in Formula 1 history for having one of the shortest and most unfortunate careers. Everything happened at the 1993 Italian Grand Prix, when Apicella was called up by Jordan to replace Thierry Boutsen. Unfortunately, at the start, the Italian driver was involved in an incident at the first chicane, which ended his race immediately. In practical terms, his Formula 1 career lasted only around 800 meters. A real shame, considering he had been regarded as one of the most promising talents in the national development system.
However, the record for the shortest Formula 1 career belongs, unfortunately, to Ernest Loof. The German driver and engineer is remembered for what happened at the 1953 German Grand Prix. At the Nürburgring circuit, Loof lined up in 31st position driving a Veritas Meteor. At the start, after just a few meters—two, to be precise—the fuel pump on his car failed, forcing him into immediate retirement before he could even reach the finish line. Following this unfortunate incident, Loof never competed in a World Championship race again.
Leave a Reply