Bite points

[Bagwan]

With a ban on passing info about clutch settings for the start about to commence , how will it all work out for the various drivers and teams ?
Merc , I suppose , having had a few howler starts , must be sweating the most .
They seem to have a package that can't be handled in a wake , so they have to get off the line well .

I'm wondering if we'll hear any coded messages in the warm-up lap , as they haven't had to do this themselves for a very long time .

This could be great to see , but they will have to be extremely careful about those starts .

I'm pretty happy with this change , and hopefully the drivers are as well .

Mind you , if an extra warm-up lap ends up costing you the race even with the team's help , you gotta figure the drivers may sweat a little more as they approach the start .

I would think that some clever engineering solutions are being worked on as I write this .

[AndyL]

I would think that some clever engineering solutions are being worked on as I write this .

Yes no doubt. I've lost count of the number of times the FIA have banned launch control systems.

[Jag_Warrior]

Last year, the brakes were the weak point for the Mercs. They apparently got that solved. This year it seems to be the clutch. I don't know what Ferrari and Williams were doing the past two races that they might not be able to do from Spa forward. But if those two teams have found something that Mercedes hasn't, we might have a real dogfight on our hands through the end of the season - especially on tracks that are harder to pass on.

[Big Ben]

I just wonder why do they need to pass that info over the radio?

[zako85]

Last year, the brakes were the weak point for the Mercs. They apparently got that solved. This year it seems to be the clutch.

Two races does not equal one year.

[Bagwan]

I just wonder why do they need to pass that info over the radio?

Good question , but I think the answer is that they are not allowed to make the actual adjustments from the pits , and that it was achieved by making two-way data transmission illegal .
So , they are left with coaching , which will now be illegal , or , at least more difficult .

[Big Ben]

That I know but what I wonder is that since it's a setup they use right at the start of the race can't they talk about it before the race? I admit I have no clue what these setups actually involve.

[Hawkmoon]

Good question , but I think the answer is that they are not allowed to make the actual adjustments from the pits , and that it was achieved by making two-way data transmission illegal .
So , they are left with coaching , which will now be illegal , or , at least more difficult .

Surely a simple way around this is to simply tell the driver what he needs to do in terms of preparing the clutch before he leaves the pits and as soon as he's found the sweet spot send him a coded message. Something like "that's great, system 21 is perfect".

[Bagwan]

Surely a simple way around this is to simply tell the driver what he needs to do in terms of preparing the clutch before he leaves the pits and as soon as he's found the sweet spot send him a coded message. Something like "that's great, system 21 is perfect".

Yes , the "enigma machine" will be at the ready .

I would think that those who have been calmest off the line , and took close notice of the numbers and button and/or switch positions , and how they related to the feel of the pedal , will be best set to be able to cope with doing it alone .
And , those who seem to take the most instructions will be on the back foot .
At least they have the break to sit in their home simulators and try to get the systems into their heads .


In a world where leading out of the first corner means you are likely to win , having the driver's fate solidly in the hands of the driver can only be a good thing .

But , I do worry a bit about the debates over whether the "enigma machine" was in use or not .
That could be really tedious as that debate will hang over the entire race , being it will all occur just before the start .
Hell , if it was a blatant breach early in the warm-up lap , wouldn't they need to punish a driver by dropping his position even before the race begins , as allowing him the start with him having prepared unfairly would surely be farcical , wouldn't it ?
How many warm-up laps might it take to decide the punishment ?
And , how messy would the start be after all is sorted ?

[Nitrodaze]

I think the familiar engine stalls at the start of the race due to improper clutch release, will return and we would return to launch control again soon enough. These premature stalls have been very dangerous in the past with rear ramming accidents at the start of races causing catastrophic pile ups, as a stalled car causes cars coming from behind darting this way and that to avoid crashing into the stationary car.

Would Mercedes be worst off without its dodgy launch control system? I think not. I think they would be happy to see it go actually, just one less problem to worry about.
I am not sure how many drivers on the grid have manual clutch experience at F1 level. I would think, Alonso, Button, Raikonen, Massa, Rosberg, Vettel and Hamilton are the ones that joined F1 just before launch control was introduced [l think]. Hence, Spa is going to be a first for most for the grid and a learning experience for a majority of the drivers.
Premature starts would also result in a few drivers picking up penalties at the start of races.

Spa could well turn out to be another bizarre race, with odd teams on the podium or in the top 6.

Check this out
http://www.formula1-dictionary.net/start_sequence.html

Spa could well turn out to be another bizarre race, with odd teams on the podium or in the top 6.