17 replies to this topic

[SonnyViceR]

Along with the ever continuing track modifications (=hopefully not just huge seas of tarmac runoff) at Circuit de la Sarthe, the ACO appears to be looking at new approach for handling caution periods

https://www.dailyspo...ar.com/?p=18894

 

Perhaps even more significant though was Mr Fillon’s answer to the question about the number and length of Safety Car periods.

 

“Here we will have a surprise for you I think. I share the concerns about this and we have been working hard to find a better safety management solution. -- To make the change we want to move towards would require an in-car marshaling system, to neutralise not the whole circuit but simply a section of the circuit directly affected by an incident. That kind of system requires a high level of accuracy from a GPS based system and I hope and believe that this will be in place for 2014.”

 

That looks and feels like a higher tech version of the system that works well at the Nurburgring 24 Hours and come rather closer to the ‘Code 60’ system that Creventic operate with their range of endurance events.

 

Ridiculously managed SC periods (three cars + red light at the end of the pitlane + takes up forever) have been one of the bigger issues in the recent years of the 24 hours so this could potentially be fantastic news. I'm not big fan of the code 60 used at those amateur events but N24 system is simply the best o there's huge potential.

 

edit: I suppose you could still have SC up there in some shape or form but not in the traditional sense

Edited by SonnyViceR, 29 November 2013 - 21:12.

[Andrew Hope]

Hindaugh will have to find something new to rant about.

[SonnyViceR]

Hindaugh will have to find something new to rant about.

 

There's always BoP in GTE.

 

Too bad he seems to change his mind too often about it, one day it's disgusting and next the best thing since sliced bread.

[HuddersfieldTerrier1986]

Interesting. Well, I must admit I'm not a fan of the 'being forced to sit at the end of the pitlane for the next SC to come by ebfore being allowed out' situation, partly because depending on which safety car you end up behind compared to your nearest rival, you could end up over half a lap ahead/behind, which just seems a bit....well, a bit unfair to be honest.

[redreni]

Common sense. I thoroughly approve.

[DanardiF1]

There's always BoP in GTE.

 

Too bad he seems to change his mind too often about it, one day it's disgusting and next the best thing since sliced bread.

 

Basically when it suits Aston and British interests it's good, but it's disgusting if anyone else benefits from it.

[404KF2]

Excellent news.  The safety car periods at Le Mans are even more egregious than they are in F-1.  I remember the good old days, before F-1 had the stupid US-style "safety cars".

[SonnyViceR]

If this comes fruition it hopefully gets rid of the red flag at the end of the pitlane -mess indeed. I don't see why they'd need to continue with that (not that there's really any need for it with the current system either). Then you could actually pit whenever you wish and not put yourself in danger of losing half a lap for no reason.

 

If they set a standard speed for areas under yellow flags, I wonder what it'll be. There have been some issues with that in Code 60 as classes produce their power differently

[Nonesuch]

This sounds like great news. The long and often dubiously managed safety car periods at Le Mans (and the WEC) are a real annoyance.

Edited by Nonesuch, 30 November 2013 - 12:15.

[SonnyViceR]

This sounds like great news. The long and often dubiously managed safety car periods at Le Mans (and the WEC) are a real annoyance.

 

It's not really that big of a problem in other rounds as they don't use multiple safety cars as at Sarthe, and also the races are shorter and Tilkedrome asphalt runoff areas decrease the chance of caution happening.

 

Assuming they get the system working for next year, it should be amusing the compare the yellow flag periods of Le Mans against the 'cautions every 5 minutes' -NASCAR format of Daytona 24 Hours, where they will throw in safety car & wave-by's for phantom coke cans in order to tighten up the field for artificially close finish. Should be even more clear in 2014 with the DP-P2-DW balancing nonsense

Edited by SonnyViceR, 30 November 2013 - 12:34.

[Nonesuch]

It's not really that big of a problem in other rounds as they don't use multiple safety cars as at Sarthe, and also the races are shorter and Tilkedrome asphalt runoff areas decrease the chance of caution happening.

 

Sure, it's not that big a problem, but earlier this year in Interlagos the WEC had a 45 or so minute long safety car because the single Toyota and one of the Lotus (?) cars collided and crashed at the Curva do Sol.

 

If the organisers can find a way to limit such a caution to, say, sector 1 then all the better.

Edited by Nonesuch, 30 November 2013 - 13:29.

[PayasYouRace]

Sure, it's not that big a problem, but earlier this year in Interlagos the WEC had a 45 or so minute long safety car because the single Toyota and one of the Lotus (?) cars collided and crashed at the Curva do Sol.

 

If the organisers can find a way to limit such a caution to, say, sector 1 then all the better.

 

Why did it take so long to clear up?

[sportyskells]

if i think back at the time there was a tire wall to fix after the two car tangle so that why it took so long

[redreni]

It's not really that big of a problem in other rounds as they don't use multiple safety cars as at Sarthe, and also the races are shorter and Tilkedrome asphalt runoff areas decrease the chance of caution happening.
 
Assuming they get the system working for next year, it should be amusing the compare the yellow flag periods of Le Mans against the 'cautions every 5 minutes' -NASCAR format of Daytona 24 Hours, where they will throw in safety car & wave-by's for phantom coke cans in order to tighten up the field for artificially close finish. Should be even more clear in 2014 with the DP-P2-DW balancing nonsense

Why is it less of a problem to have one safety car than three? In either case cars receive artitrary and substaintial gains or losses compared to their rivals. hy

With the single safet car, if two close rivals are split by the leader, so that one is a lap closer to the lead lap than the other even though they‘re close together on track, the second car will arbitrarily lose nearly a whole lap to his rival. However, with the single safety car the general picture is that everyone closes up and anyone who had a lead of less than a lap over a rival loses that lead, which in my opinion is why people mind the single safety car less than multiple safety cars. At Le Mans, it is common to see two cars that were close together split by a safety car and separated by a third of a lap, but is this really any worse than having people lose almost an entire lap under the single safety car system, albeit less often? To my mind the more safety cars there are, the less dramatic the arbitrary advantages and disadvantages that are meted out, surely?

Anyway, with any luck the old safety car chustnut will soon be a thing of the past and we‘ll get an effective system of localised rather than full course cautions that can be used safely in situations where ordinary local yellows won‘t cover it.

[SonnyViceR]

It truly is happening in 2014

http://sportscar365....-mans-revealed/

 

However safety cars will still be used for "larger accidents", which means that the stupid multiple SC + red flag at the end of the pitlane mess isn't going away completely.

 

Also wave-arounds...

Edited by SonnyViceR, 21 December 2013 - 08:39.

[DanardiF1]

I think it's a big step, will definitely make dealing with incidents on circuit more sensible... I don't think you can completely get rid of a safety car, especially for the bigger incidents (and there does tend to be at least one 'biggie' in each of the most recent races), but creating these yellow flag zones is perfect sense for this kind of track.

[SonnyViceR]

For bigger accidents you surely could have just issued slow zone / code 60 for the entire circuit?

[dweller23]

Yeah, bigger accidents that need medical team (hopefully no such crashes will occur) will always require SC. Otherwise, I think if the driver is ok then there should be no SC on entire track.