Quote:
Originally Posted by NightStalk3r
From what i understand he put the brakes on when the green flag threw thinking he could keep the field going slow behind him until the start line, unfortunately that's not how the starts work Peter . . .
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. . . in practice, but it's how it is supposed to work in principal. The driver in the pole-setting car is supposed to regulate the pace of the start, and the cars around should moderate their own pace to ensure that the pole car crosses the line first. Once it is over the line, they can do whatever they like. Peter Hardman was within his rights to slow (although he insists he did not brake) and he can decide when to floor the accelerator. Darren Turner alongside understood this, and held back, but the other two just blasted through from the second (and third!) rows, long before the line, and everyone else followed.
Peter Hardman is hardly a novice, but he did double-check that his understanding of the starting procedure was the correct one by speaking to race officials beforehand. He was assured that his status as driver of the car on pole meant that he could control the start all the way to the line, and so he did . . . well, he attempted to anyway.
And while I'm in "defending Strakka" mood, I note from earlier posts that Nick Leventis came in for some stick for his middle-stint pace. In fact, he only lost one position, which is fair going under the circumstances.