Start Line

[GURRYP]

Can someone out there please explain why the start/finish line is always situated approx halfway down the pit lane ? I've never been able to fathom this one out. Surely if the line was away from the pits, it would be considerably easier to keep track of car positions on track.

Are you classed as completing a lap when you enter or leave the pit lane ??

Does it matter where your garage is along the pit lane ??

[THR]

isnt it just so that german git, in a red car can win races? even tho it was deffinately cheating?


but thats a very good question..

the french GP has the line right after the last corner.

but i really dont know y its in the middle of say, silverstone GP.

got me wondering now..

[elephino]

I'm not sure why the start/finish line is situated where it is. Could be because of lazy officials, or quite often on some tracks it is the only part of the track which has a long enough straight bit to fit the grid of cars (which is why it is half way down). Also with some of the older tracks which were many miles in length, having the finish and the pits right near eachother makes sense.

It is considered the completion of a lap if you are in the pits (as Schumacher has demonstrated). When you cross where the start/finish line would be in the pits if it was painted there is where you are counted as having completed the lap.

Some people say it does matter where you are on pitlane. It depends on a number of factors though. For instance in CART they have gaps along pit lane for access, and it is usually an advantage to be next to one of these as it gives a little more space if the cars on either side are pitting at the same time as you get a little more space.

[Crash Test]

I know at my most loacl track here in Australia (Lakeside) has it's start/finish line after the pitlane, but it is directly under the control tower. Which tracks do you know have the start finish line away from the tower?

I know at most meetings the timekeeper is the judge of fact with respect to jump starts, and all of the tracks i know have the timers in the control tower. Me thinks it would be hard to judge a jump start from the opposite side of the track

[elephino]

That makes sense...so must be some other reason

CART have a couple of races, eg mid-ohio, that start the race on a different part of the track to hopefully reduce incidents at the start. The finish line is still in the normal spot.