FIA to trial new race start procedure in Bahrain amid rising concerns
The FIA has announced that a simulated race start will take place at the end of each day of testing in Bahrain in order to trial a new race start lights sequence.
In recent days, there has been plenty of media attention around the start procedure and the several seconds the new power units — without the MGU-H and featuring a smaller turbo — take to reach the ideal operating window for launching the car correctly without stalling.
Complaints have been widespread, with some calling for changes to the procedure on safety grounds, while others argue that things should remain as they are and that there is no real issue to address.
As confirmed by the FIA, “at approximately 18:50 a red flag will be shown and all cars will return to the pit lane. The cars will then complete a formation lap, followed by an additional formation lap, before lining up on the grid for a simulated race start.
“Once all cars are in position, a new Pre-Start Warning will begin: all grid panels will flash blue for 5 seconds. After the blue warning ends, the usual start sequence will begin.”
Overall, the procedure will therefore follow this sequence: a red flag will be shown, with all cars returning to the pit lane and lining up in the fast lane.
Once the pit exit opens, the cars will head back out to the grid, complete an additional formation lap, and then take up their positions on the grid. A five-second blue pre-start warning will follow, before the standard start light procedure gets underway.
Follow day one of the final Bahrain test live with GPblog
After a week off, the field returned to action for the last three days of running that will wrap up pre-season preparations, with the focus now shifting towards the season-opening race in Melbourne.
Leclerc set the pace in the morning session, as Ferrari once again underlined the reliability of its power unit, before Piastri moved ahead to take provisional top spot later in the day.
Click here to follow the live test updates and stay across all the latest developments.
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