45. Starting Procedure

45.1. Starting Procedure

The starting procedure will be as per Bulletin 2 issued before or during the event.

45.2.

A maximum of 15 minutes after the pit lane opens, the pit lane will close. A warning signal announcing the closing of the pit lane exit will be given two minutes beforehand.

Any car which is still in the pits can start from the pits, but only under the direction of the marshals.

It may be moved to the pit exit only with the driver in position.

Where the pit exit is immediately after the Line, cars will join the race when the whole field has passed the pit exit on its first racing lap.

Where the pit exit is immediately before the Line, cars will join the race as soon as the whole field has crossed the Line after the start.

The remainder of the starting procedure will take place in accordance with the Official Timetable of the Event until the 10-minute board.

45.3.

Wheel changes on the starting grid may only be allowed prior to the 5-minute signal. Wheels may only be brought onto the grid before the pit lane closes; this may be altered by a Bulletin from the Stewards of the Meeting depending on the Official Timetable of the Event.

45.4. Countdown

Unless a Bulletin specifies otherwise, the normal countdown procedures/audible warning sequence shall be:

15 minutes to start of formation lap Pit exit opened with audible warning.

12 minutes to start of formation lap Pit exit closes in two minutes with audible warning

10 minutes to start of formation lap Pit exit closes with audible warning.

5 minutes to start of formation lap Audible warning. All cars must have wheels fitted. Teams must have On-Board Camera switched on and recording. Any car with one or more wheels not fitted may be given a Drive Through Penalty.

3 minutes to start of formation lap Audible warning and 3-minute board shown at Start Line. Clear the Grid of all non-team personnel and major equipment. Cars must be resting on their wheels on the ground. Any car not resting on wheels on the ground may be given a Drive Through Penalty

1 minute to start of formation lap Audible warning. When the one minute signal is shown, engines will be started and all teams technical staff must leave the grid by the time the 15 second signal is given taking all equipment with them.

15 seconds to start of formation lap Audible warning and 15 second board shown on Start Line.

Any car being worked on after the showing of the 15 second board may be given a Drive Through Penalty

Green Flag. Start of the formation lap The formation lap will normally be one lap.

Exceptions to this are either when track conditions dictate or the grid formation is not correct for the start. During this lap, practice starts are forbidden and the formation must be kept as tight as possible.

The organisers reserve the right to modify the above countdown if deemed necessary.

45.5.

Overtaking during the formation lap is permitted only if a car is delayed when leaving its grid position and cars behind cannot avoid passing it without unduly delaying the remainder of the field. In this case, drivers may overtake only to re-establish the original starting order. Any driver delayed in this way, and who is unable to re-establish the original starting order before he reaches the first Safety Car Line, must enter the pit lane and start from the end of the pit lane.

The Series Race Director at his discretion may direct that when the starting signal is given no car may overtake another. Competitors will be informed by an Event Bulletin.

Any driver who is delayed leaving the grid may not overtake another moving car if he was stationary after the remainder of the cars had crossed the Line, and must start the race from the back of the grid. If more than one driver is affected, they must form up at the back of the grid in the order in which they left to complete the formation lap. If the Line is not situated in front of the pole position, for the purposes of this article only, it will be deemed to be a white line one metre in front of pole position.

A drive-through penalty will be imposed on any driver who, in the opinion of the Stewards of the Meeting, unnecessarily overtook another car during the formation lap.

The Organisers official leading car will pull off at the end of the pace lap. The cars will continue on their own with the pole position car leading, slowly increasing speed to a maximum of 110 Km/h by the moment of the start.

In the event that the starting lights fail the Starter will revert to using the National Flag..

45.6.

Any driver who is unable to start the formation lap must indicate this to the marshals. When leaving the grid, all drivers must proceed at a greatly reduced speed until clear of any Team personnel standing beside the track.

Marshals will be instructed to push any car (or cars) remaining on the grid into the pit lane by the shortest route as soon as all cars able to leave the grid have done so. Any driver being pushed from the grid may not attempt to start his car until in the pit lane. If one or more cars are removed from the starting grid, these gaps will not be closed up

45.7.

When all cars are lined up side-by-side for the start, the Official Leading Car will reduce the speed of the field to 50 km/h before pulling off the track into the pit lane. From that moment, the car on pole position will be in charge of the speed. The leader must then slowly increase speed to a maximum of 110 Km/h by the moment of the start.

During the briefing the Race Director may define a 'Starting Zone' from which point the start can be given. In this case, the cars will only be authorised to race and overtake once they have entered the zone.

Any divergence from the prescribed instructions before the start is given will result in a penalty.

During the formation lap the red light will be on. No car may overtake another one before the starting signal is given.

45.8.

2 x 2 line astern Grid formation. There will be a rolling start as described in the Code. Race timing will commence at the point that the race start signal (start signal as specified in the Drivers' Briefing) is given.

During the start of a race, the pit wall must be kept free of all persons with the exception of properly authorised Officials and fire marshals, all of whom shall have been issued with and shall be wearing the appropriate pass. During a start behind safety car, the Team personnel may return to the pit wall once the cars have left the grid.

45.9.

If a problem arises when the cars reach the Line at the end of the formation lap, the red light will stay on. Yellow flags will be displayed at all marshal posts. The cars, with the pole position leading, will complete a new formation lap.

They may be joined and led by the Official leading car and will continue for another formation lap.

If the start is improper the leading car will continue to lead the field around the circuit for an additional pace lap and a new start will be attempted in accordance with the above.

If the race start is aborted after the leading car has left the circuit the signal to start will not be given, and the start lights will remain at red with an "EXTRA FORMATION LAP BOARD" being displayed at Start Gantry. All cars must proceed for another lap. For timing purposes the start will be considered as having been given at the end at the first formation lap

Should such an additional formation lap be carried out, the race timing will commence at the end of the first formation lap.

45.10.

A penalty will be imposed for a false start if so reported by start line judges, judges of fact, the Race Director or the Starter. If a competitor is judged to have committed a false start in accordance with ISC Article 8.6, the Series Stewards may impose a drive-through penalty.

45.11.

Only in the following cases will any variation in the starting procedure be allowed:

a) If it starts to rain after the five-minute signal but before the race is started and, in the opinion of the Race Director, Competitors should be given the opportunity to change tyres, the abort lights will be shown on the Line and the starting procedure will begin again at the 10-minute point. If necessary, the procedure set out in Article 45.4 will be followed.

b) If the start of the race is imminent and, in the opinion of the Race Director, the volume of water on the track is such that it cannot be negotiated safely even on wet-weather tyres, the abort lights will be shown on the Line and information concerning the likely delay will be displayed on the timing monitors. Once the start time is known, at least ten minutes' warning will be given.

c) If the race is started behind the Safety Car, Article 46.8 will apply.

d) In certain cases, according to the Supplementary Regulations of the Event or by decision of the Race Director and the General Manager of the Series, a shortened starting procedure may be stipulated.

In this case, a minimum of 10 minutes before the time for the green flag/formation lap, the cars will leave the pit lane to cover a reconnaissance lap. At the end of this lap they will stop on the grid in starting order with their engines stopped. Any car coming into the pit lane at the end of this lap will not be allowed to go out onto the track again and will take the start from the pit lane only after the start has been given and the complete field of cars has passed the exit of the pit lane or, where the pit exit is immediately before the Line, the whole field has crossed the Line after the start. The starting procedures will then continue with Article 45.4 onwards.

45.12.

The Stewards of the Meeting may use any video or electronic means to assist them in reaching a decision. The Stewards of the Meeting may overrule judges of fact. A breach of the provisions of the Code or these Sporting Regulations relating to starting procedure may result in the disqualification of the car and drivers concerned from the Competition.