10 replies to this topic

[SB]

I'm watching the movie Grand Prix from TCM now. I notice that in the movie the races were started by the waving of the national flags. So when was the flags replaced by the red-green traffic lights ? Which race was the first one to use it ?

Thanks in advance.

SB

[Michael Müller]

As far I know the first starting light signals had been used as early as 1937/38/39 (?) at the German GP on the Nürburgring. and if I remember also right they failed to work .

[Vitesse2]

Originally posted by Michael Müller
As far I know the first starting light signals had been used as early as 1937/38/39 (?) at the German GP on the Nürburgring. and if I remember also right they failed to work .

Starting lights were first used in the 1935 German GP and the failure to which Michael refers was in 1938: Neubauer obviously cannot have trusted the system, since he immediately started counting down the seconds within sight of his drivers! When he reached ten fingers held up, his drivers knew there was ten seconds to go and engaged first gear.

[Dennis David]

I think that they were used before that at the Grand Prix of Tripoli but I don't have a date for you as I'm on the road.

[Redliner]

In terms of World Championship Grand Prixs the Flag system was certainly in use until 1969, so I would say sometime in the mid to late 70's

[Mawerick]

^bump^

Sorry for digging up old topics but I'm very curious about this one. Iirc flag starts were banned after Monza '78 but when were starting lights first used in F1 racing?

[caneparo]

Niki Lauda recalls that at his comeback in Monza 1976 he made a hopeless start because he didn't see the flag going down! So it must be Monza 1976, or the previous GP, in which Lauda couldn't obvioulsy take part

[WHITE]

Originally posted by Mawerick
^bump^

Sorry for digging up old topics but I'm very curious about this one. Iirc flag starts were banned after Monza '78 but when were starting lights first used in F1 racing?

I would dare saying that it was at the british GP 1975.

[scheivlak]

Originally posted by caneparo
Niki Lauda recalls that at his comeback in Monza 1976 he made a hopeless start because he didn't see the flag going down! So it must be Monza 1976, or the previous GP, in which Lauda couldn't obvioulsy take part

You can download the start of the 1976 Italian GP from http://www.monzaspor...ideo_1970s.htmm - "1976 Gp Italia F1live - parte 1".
Looks indeed like they started with lights.

[caneparo]

thanks, very nice one. Now I'd like to get the whole race

[sonar]

I was watching Grand Prix last weekend and was wondering the exact same thing.
So, now we know when the lights were used for the first time.
But does anybody know when the flags were used for the last time?
Was it different for every Grand Prix and were the lights introduced grudually?
I just cannot seem to remember when it changed.
I also saw a film on the internet once where the starting signal was just a man waving his hand. Was this ever common practice?
Or was this just a one-off situation when they couldn't find the flag...