Regulation changes
The 10 Formula 1 teams and the FIA have agreed, in the latest F1 Commission meeting, to finally address the gray area that had emerged in some starting situations. Recent incidents had occurred where, despite it being clear from television footage that a car had moved before the five red lights went out, stewards were unable to intervene with a penalty because the sensor designated to detect false starts had not detected any anomalies.
The Norris Case
The most notable incident was regarding Lando Norris at the start of the Saudi Arabian GP this season. The McLaren driver had clearly moved ahead of time on the grid, as noted in live coverage by compatriot George Russell alongside him, but had not received any penalty because the sensor did not ‘trigger’. Now, the sporting regulations have been amended to prevent similar incidents.
TV Evidence Suffices
Firstly, the paragraph in the regulations dedicated to the start has been renamed from “Incorrect starting position” to “False start”. Additionally, a provision has been added whereby a penalty will be imposed if the car “moves after the illumination of the four-second light and before the start signal is given by extinguishing all red lights”. This is regardless of the confirmation provided by the transponders. Therefore, if another ‘Norris case’ were to occur now, with a clear movement of the car with red lights on, a penalty would be triggered.
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Similar situations in the past had also involved Valtteri Bottas and Sebastian Vettel, during their respective tenures at Mercedes and Ferrari. Both had moved – albeit slightly – their cars before the ‘start’, without activating the sensor meant to certify the infraction.
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