Safety Car usage with a crash on main straight?

[BootsOntheSide]

Regarding the issue of whetehr the cars should've been taken down the pitlane durin ghte safety car perod at Indy, the excellent F1 Rejects website's race review offered this alternate view:

Martin Brundle in the ITV commentary box also suggested that, instead of taking the cars past the scene and over the debris, the safety car should have gone through the pit lane. For once, I disagree with him. The pit lane has a speed limit on safety grounds; would that have been enforced? Also, what if someone at the front of the queue dived into their pit box for a quick stop? Where would they emerge? Would the teams themselves have to hold the car until the whole queue passed?

Clealy, a degree of advance preparation needs to be made if this system is to be used in future. But how should this be done? In particualr, shoudl there be a limit as to which points in teh safety car period that a pitstop can be made?

If you want to merge this with ane xisting thread on the subejct, feel free

[paulzinho]

Its an idea but if the track is bad enough to warrant using the pitlane shouldn't the red flag be shown....

[Kicking-back]

It's very rare in F1 for this type of accident to happen on the main straight.

However, if the field were taken through the pit lane by the safety car, I don't see any problems.

As soon as the SC is called for, most teams dived into the pits anyway, and this would be the same.

At the point the safety car picks up the leader, everyone will form in a queue behind him anyway, so it'll be a whole lap later before the field is brought through the pitlane behind the SC.

Pitting at that point would put you to the back of the queue - as it would now if you came in from behind the safety car.

Most "quick stops" actually happen before everyone has caught the safety car - and this would be the same.

[ElScOrChO]

No problem to use the pit lane but they shouldn't be allowed to pit until the track is clean and can be used again

[Kicking-back]

Why not?

[Vicki]

I think that they should have used the oitlane, but if not they should have at least made it mandetory for all cars to have the tires checked for debris. That would make sense.

[BootsOntheSide]

Originally posted by FerrariFanatic
I think that they should have used the oitlane, but if not they should have at least made it mandetory for all cars to have the tires checked for debris. That would make sense.

How do you propose doing this? By sending them all into their individual pit areas, or having a team of equally neutral and thorough tyre experts on hand? How would oyu keep the order the same, without risking the engines overheating during the stationary time?

[Vicki]

Well, it seems like the only way would be to make them all pit about 5 laps after and have the tires changed. Simple. Well, actually not simple, nothing in this sport ever is!

[Kicking-back]

FerrariFanatic - it sounds like you're just complicating things.

Every team has the option to pit their car for new tyres.

If they choose not to, then have a puncture, then they've only themselves to blame.

[grumpy1]

Originally posted by ElScOrChO
No problem to use the pit lane but they shouldn't be allowed to pit until the track is clean and can be used again

There is provision in the rules to allow this.The pit bays are closed and no car is allowed to pit.Any team that pits will be black flaged(that car).

The Grumpy1

[courageous]

If you consider the race track to be too dangerous, Stop the race - simple.

[BootsOntheSide]

I'd like to see them go back towards stopping the race, but the lap 1 crash was a far more important time to stop things, considering the amount of debris on the track. Using the safety car through the pitlane is a progressive diea that should be considered.

[codename_47]

I just wish they'd stop trying to continue the race at all costs for their TV and advertising backers, and consider the implications.

If they'd have thrown a red at Indy, chances are that the teams would've changed their tyres themselves as a precaution, problem solved!

I thought they learnt their lesson from Australia 2001 and Monza 2000, when you had people seriously injuried on track, and they STILL kept the field out there, circulating, putting marshals and medics in danger and also making it harder for them to communicate through noise issues, and THEN the ambulance had to pull over and let the field through....crazy!

A red after the start could've saved all that trouble...they DID do it at Hockenhiem 2001 after all.

(Please no conspiracy theories about M.Schu being out of the race, I can see that one coming a mile off! )

[BARrouette]

They should have stopped the race on the first lap, they did it before why not in indy...
It is so cool to have a restart...
BTW...They should ban pit-stop durring the first lap of a yellow flag like in others series.

[Adam43]

I always thought it would be good to have a SC that starts half way around the lap. A problem at the first corner (or before the pit lane exit) means the race cars have to negotiate the accident before being brought under control of he SC.

Or red flag the race.