Formula 1 will have changes to its starting procedures starting from the Miami GP, and the FIA has already issued a clear warning to the teams. Any attempt to exploit the new system for an advantage could result in penalties.
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This measure comes after concerns about performance loss at the start due to current power units. In some cases, drivers faced lower-than-expected acceleration, creating risky situations immediately after the race began.
To minimize the problem, the FIA developed a system capable of detecting low acceleration immediately after clutch release. When an abnormal level is identified, the MGU-K will automatically activate to ensure minimum acceleration, in addition to a visual alert with flashing lights to warn cars behind.
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FIA’s single-seater director, Nikolas Tombazis, emphasized that the goal is not to offer a competitive advantage: “This should not be a mechanism for anyone to try to benefit. It turns a disastrous start into a bad one, not a bad one into a good one,” he stated. According to him, the initial proposal even included automatic punishment, but it was discarded after discussion with the teams.
The novelty will be tested during the Miami GP before a possible definitive implementation. Tombazis reinforced that the FIA will remain attentive to the system’s use: “If we notice that someone has found a way to gain an advantage, we will intervene,” he concluded, indicating that monitoring will be rigorous from the start.
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