F1 track question
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Soldato
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For some weird reason which I now can't remember, some tracks have a different start and finish line.
The start line is always in front of the pole sitter on the grid, however the finish line can be anywhere on or before this. That's why you may sometimes see the race end, or a lap time pop up when the car is only halfway down the grid.
For qualifying the times are always measured from the same line though - usually the finish line.
The start line is always in front of the pole sitter on the grid, however the finish line can be anywhere on or before this. That's why you may sometimes see the race end, or a lap time pop up when the car is only halfway down the grid.
For qualifying the times are always measured from the same line though - usually the finish line.
The start line and finish line are actually in different places at a lot of tracks
The finish line is infront of race control. The start line is the front of the grid.
In places like Monza for example, the finish line, where all the lap times are recorded, is actually well back behind the grid. The cars start a good few hundred meters in front of it. In these cases the start line is only used for starting the race. All timing is done from the finish line. The result is the first lap of the race will be a few hundred meters shorter than the rest of the laps.
Spa has 2 grids in the same way that Silverstone now does. They only use 1 at a time though.
The finish line is infront of race control. The start line is the front of the grid.
In places like Monza for example, the finish line, where all the lap times are recorded, is actually well back behind the grid. The cars start a good few hundred meters in front of it. In these cases the start line is only used for starting the race. All timing is done from the finish line. The result is the first lap of the race will be a few hundred meters shorter than the rest of the laps.
Spa has 2 grids in the same way that Silverstone now does. They only use 1 at a time though.
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Associate
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Mangy cours had a different finish line to the start line. An ye Monza still does.
Soldato
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the finish line has to be in front of race control so that, in the event of a total systems failure, they can determine the order of the grid by eye.
i assume they dont put the start line at that point on some tracks (such as silverstone) because there wouldnt be enough room for the grid without backing them onto a corner that would be too dangerous to start on
Yep. Its a combination of that and reducing the speeds into the first corner on the first lap. Or, in the case of the Nurburgring now, simply moving the grid so that it is in front of the grandstands.