Lotus's Jolyon Palmer, meanwhile, reckons manual getaways will throw more "random" elements into starts; But Romain Grosjean unsure about what will change
Wednesday 8 July 2015 12:45, UK
World champion Lewis Hamilton has welcomed F1's move to put drivers back in control at the start of grands prix from as early as next month's Belgian GP.
Following complaints from fans and ex-drivers that too many areas of a modern-day F1 car are now controlled by sophisticated electronic software programmes, the sport's Strategy Group has agreed to clamp down on driver aids and driver coaching via the radio from the race at Spa following the summer break.
As part of a raft of plans aimed at improving the sport, it was announced that there would be "particular emphasis on race starts" with the unspecified measures designed to "bring back the driver in full control of the car, enhancing races excitement and unpredictability". Further steps are then expected for the start of next season.
F1 drivers, who control the clutch via two paddles on the back of the steering wheel, currently go through a procedure with their race engineers to select the software settings for the start of races.
And Hamilton, who has struggled with his starts recently and been jumped from pole in each of the last two races, has given a cautionary thumbs-up to the new plans.
"I guess it really depends how they go about doing it. I'm happy, the more control we get the better," the Mercedes driver said.
"At the moment, we release the clutch but the performance is really dictated from the team. They will tell you whether to go up or down on torque modes and all those kind of things and sometimes they calculate it right, sometimes they don't. And then sometimes there are other problems, like the one I had [in Austria].
"For me, the best starts were when I was back in Formula 3 where you had a clutch. They were more fun back then because I had the control. So if they [the FIA] do it right, it could be good."
In GP2, F1's feeder series, drivers are forced to make manual starts and Lotus reserve driver Jolyon Palmer, the category's reigning champion, says this invariably results in more action towards the first corner.
"The race start is a really good idea. It's so automated now for a driver," Palmer told Sky Sports.
"You know exactly what you need to do with the clutch paddles, the throttle pedal - you're all just driving to targets. That's why at the start of the race it's rare to see any big difference; maybe one driver can jump a place, or a maximum of two.
"In GP2 you see the starts the guy from third can often launch into the lead - it's a lot more random. And when you start the cars in pace order, if they all go into Turn One stay in pace order then it's not going to be a great recipe for an exciting race. I think that'll be good to throw a bit extra into the mix."
Lotus race driver Romain Grosjean, however, is unsure what exactly will change and if it will dramatically alter the situation for the driver.
"I'll be quite interested to know which driver aids other teams have because I don't have much!" he said.
"We do much less than we do in GP2, for example, where you judge your bite point and do your throttle application. There is a procedure in Formula 1 you have to follow, but the only thing we could possibly remove is the last torque and clutch setting that you have. But we will just make the range a bit wider and still follow the same procedure.
"If everything is done manually from us and we have to follow certain procedures, I don't think it would massively change if I wasn't given the last torque and clutch settings for the start. I have got three torque maps and a fuel clutch, so if they tell don't tell me then you just say 'I have a bit more grip than I thought and I'll go for that one [setting] or that one' and that's about it."
And when put to him that the plan for 2016 is to have a standard manual clutch, Grosjean replied: "If we don't break the gearbox because if I do the same start as I was doing in GP2, I think my clutch and gearbox will still be on the grid!"
Don't miss the F1 Midweek Report for all the analysis of the British GP. Former FIA president Max Mosley and F1 correspondent for The Times Kevin Eason join Natalie Pinkham in the studio. Catch it at 8:30pm on Wednesday July 8 on Sky Sports F1.
