Standing starts get green light

The 17-car field will start in a staggered two-by-two formation, primarily for reasons of entertainment, according to Tony Cotman, Champ Car's VP of Operations.

He said: "It has been very successful in the Champ Car Atlantics and we believe it has been far better for the spectators. If we want Atlantics to be a proper training ground for drivers coming into Champ Cars, the two series need to be doing the same thing.

"Additionally it means the cars are arriving at Turn 1 with less speed than they would after a rolling start, so there is more chance of the whole field getting through Turn 1."

In the off-season, the original plan was for standing starts to commence with the season-opener in Las Vegas but engine-mapping issues, discovered in preseason tests at MSR Houston and Laguna Seca pushed the deadline back.

However, in the seven-week gap between rounds three and four, Cotman reasserted his plan and told the teams to 'test like hell.'

"I believe the engine mapping problems have been resolved. We have done a thorough job of running through software, and there is a choice of mapping for teams and drivers. We're comfortable enough to say 'OK, let's do it.

"Are there going to be issues arising? Yes, because it is tricky to get a turbocharged car off the line. We have a launch aid, but not a launch control, and of course we have no traction control. It will be demanding.

"But in fact, not all the drivers want to use the launch aid, and are quite comfortable with doing the job themselves."

RSPORTS' Justin Wilson described the problem thus: "At 50 per cent throttle, we don't have enough power to get off the line so we stall. At 52 per cent, it's too much power, the waste-gate dumps, and we stall. So it's not yet a precise technique.

"We're relying on lights - it's not like we have a rev counter - so it's not precise, and I'd say we're stalling one time in four.

"On the other hand, I like standing starts, it's a good build up, and it's great for the fans. Also, you don't get the bunching you get on a rolling start, where you have one group, then a gap, and then a second group who get overambitious and use up the space in front of them and cause accidents. I think standing starts will keep everyone more evenly spread."

Reigning champion Sebastien Bourdais is unhappy. "I think it's dangerous because of the risk of stalling. Hopefully it will be okay. I just hope nobody gets hurt out of it. I guess I'm talking as the safety representative.

"But, you know, that's all I can say. For the other drivers, I just hope nobody stalls at the front because obviously by the time the back markers get to you, it could be a potentially pretty ugly crash."

Cotman has explained that at least one of the safety trucks will follow the grid on the warm-up lap to pull-start any stalled cars.

"The other thing we have got to train the drivers on is the time it takes between the pole-sitter taking his spot and the last qualifier to line up.

"We don't want cars overheating, and so I'm aiming for between a minute and a minute and 15sec to for the pole sitter to be in place before throwing the green lights."