FIA conducted standing start test

The FIA will introduce standing starts to restart races after the safety car has left the track. Five teams were involved in testing this procedure at the end of yesterdays testing in Barcelona.

The new rules, coming into play at the start of the season, state that when a safety car is deployed, drivers are to line up on the grid for the restart.

Rather than the rolling start that has been used for many years, drivers will now restart from standing still similar to how the race begins.

Screens around the track will project an ‘SS’ meaning “Standing start” imminent to inform the drivers.

If conditions are deemed to be not suitable, these screens will instead protect ‘RS’ standing for “Rolling start” in which a more traditional restart will take place.

The test was used to check that messages were being delivered to drivers correctly ahead of the first Grand Prix in Australia on the 25th March.