F1 Pre-Start Procedure to Remain Despite Safety Concerns Being Addressed

The FIA has indicated that the additional five seconds in Formula 1's starting procedure will likely continue into the 2027 season, according to Nikolas Tombazis. This decision comes after safety concerns were addressed in other ways.

The pre-start procedure, which includes a five-second warning with blue flashing lights, was introduced following problematic practice starts during winter testing in Bahrain. While many teams supported the extra time to prepare their turbochargers, Ferrari opposed the idea due to their competitive advantage with a smaller turbo.

Tombazis noted that the pre-start procedure is now an established practice, unrelated to safety, but rather to ensure that different cars can arrive on the grid at appropriate times. The FIA has implemented a low power start detection system to enhance safety, which activates an automatic deployment to assist cars that accelerate slowly, preventing dangerous situations like the one that occurred in Melbourne.