Safety car start

[Sparky]

Yes or no?

Was it necessary? Was the rolling start the best way?

[fatbloke]

No & No - what a crock

[jvilleneuve2000]

A very bad idea, it was an anti-climax. I sat there feeling cheated out of a good start. If the track was dangerously wet then the safety car should be used but it wasnt, a very good race besides that.

[Minardi fan]

Agreed - we were denied best bit of the race, and it was completely un-necessary.

[R]

Can't argue with that. We should not have had a rolling start to this race, that really surprised me.

[Jay]

No, it was not necessary. They have started in the wet with a lot more water on the track then that before, and without incident.

We get to see enough boring rolling starts in Cart, we don't need any more in F1.

[Ralf's Girl]

No way was there any need for the safety car. The track simply wasn't wet enough.

[Danielsun]

Were the officials simply fearing another 1998? Even though it was nowhere near as wet, I reckon that's what swayed them in the end. Tragic loss of what has in the late '90s and early 21st century the best feature of every F1 race...

[Gerard]

No, not necessary at all. And I'm afraid they have set a precedent today.

[Jim Clark]

Yes, that's what I fear the most...the precedent that was set...... (sigh)

[Neil C]

Athough standing starts is one of the things that makes F1 unique, I didnt have a problem w/ the rolling start as much as the way it was done.

A proper rolling start as its done in CART or at Indy is fine, but with all the cars strung out single file with huge gaps between cars? I agree with those that feel we were robbed of F1's most exciting moment.

[Jared]

Agree with all of you. Not a good idea to start under the Safety Car. First of all, these are supposed to be the best drivers or pilotes in the world, right? So, why can't they start in the rain without crashing.

Second, if they are worried about crashing at La Source, why not start the race on the other side of the hairpin, on the run down to Eau Rouge? That would give them time to sort out, and would sort of bring back the history of racing at Spa, when they always used to start there. I think it's a great idea. What do you say?

[Sparky]

A superb idea, Jared! That would certainly have solved all the problems associated with a pre-La Source start...

I don't know how the teams would feel about the cars starting anywhere other than outside their pit garages though!

Hurrah! Jared for (FIA) President!!

[jb]

well a single file start obviated the chance of the zigzag maneuvers we've seen lately, which cause the drivers such angst!

[R]

I read today that Coulthard said that he had been asked about this before the race by FIA race director Charlie Whiting. And DC had advised on starting behind the safety car, using what has happened before in a rainy Spa as reason (most probably thinking about the 1998 pile-up). DC is a drivers representative on the safety committee, so that's why he was asked about this.

[Jared]

Thanks, Sparky. I don't think I could do worse than the guy in office now. Right, Max? Who needs overtaking for a great race?

Actually, I should have posted this the first time, but the idea is not originally mine. Steve Matchett, the former Benetton mechanic, was on our F1 coverage for Speedvision in the States, and in his interview with speedvision.com, he floated that idea. Sorry.