Le Mans is a 24-hour race, and for the first time in 24 years it was won by a driver – Nico Hulkenberg – who is currently participating in Formula 1. The number 19 Porsche driven by Hulkenberg, Nick Tandy and New Zealander Earl Bamber crossed the finish line a full lap up on the second place car, another Porsche driven by former F1 pilot Mark Webber.
That was how the race came to an end, but I’m more interested in how it all started. You see, the Le Mans race at one time began with what was known as a standing, or Le Mans, start. That’s where all the cars sit on one side of the pits, and the drivers on the other. When the flag drops, the drivers run to their cars, fire them up, and try to be the first out. As you might imagine it was unbelievably exciting and unfathomably dangerous. The biggest issue wasn’t the mad dash to get out of the pits, it was that many of the drivers wouldn’t bother belting up until they got a couple of laps in.
I think that our present technology can mitigate this danger and can allow us the excitement and spectacle that would be had by bringing back the Le Mans start. How would we do it? Two words – seatbelt interlock. Yep, just like the short-lived U.S. regulation from the ’70s, we wouldn’t allow a Le Mans car to start until the driver was fully belted in and ready to go. What do you think, would that sell the sizzle as well as the steak? Or, do you think that the Le Mans start should even make a comeback at all?
Image: lemans.org
Hooniverse Asks: Should Racing Bring Back the "Le Mans Start?"
By Robert Emslie
Jun 16, 2015
Jeff Glucker
No, I believe we should implement the Ironman Start.
Every entrant must swim 2.4mi, bike 112mi, and run 26.2mi before they even step into their vehicles.
Note: this can be done with a relay of drivers, and done simultaneously. Everyone who Ironmans must also drive, though. It will be interesting seeing team managers trying to find the best balance of number of drivers weighed against the time it takes to make a driver change.
Seriously, professional drivers these days appear to be made of steel anyway, so an iron start shouldn’t be that hard.
I can see Mark Webber do alright in this.
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Sport/Pix/columnists/2008/11/22/1227349561999/Webber-collided-with-a-ca-001.jpg
http://thecovekettering.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/650x400_mark_webber_tasmania.jpg
I love the old style of racing, but safety has gotten to the point where this just isn’t feasible anymore. On top of the that, the start sequence and making sure systems are running properly, etc. would mean a few of the high-level teams would jog across and then wait there to go when they know everything is right, potentially 15 seconds later because they know they can make it up on the track.
I’m better with the parade lap to green flag starts, it just makes more sense than a bunch of meat strewn across the racecourse by prototype cars on cold tires.
Sure bring it back. Just have a safety official at each car that won’t let the car go until all safety equipment is properly in place. Don’t even need the interlock. Might even make for some safety innovations. Harnesses that are quicker to put on are quicker to get out of in case of fire.
They should also be carrying the mandated luggage and secure the luggage before the start. Luggage should contain all spare parts that can be used during the race.
Bulky luggage at Mercedes: Wings.
http://palmeter.com/wp-content/pics/myweb12/MercFly1.jpg
At least Porsche was able to stick the landing at Petit LeMans.
Flip’n’flames – my wife hates it when I do that with our minivan.
All harnesses are super quick to take off in an emergenc – camlocks, latches, everything. And it’s pretty unrelated to the put-on time. I think it has something to do with entropy.
I don’t think you even need to go as far as the seat belt interlock. Just have that annoying chime go off in their earpieces once they’re over 60 mph without a seat belt on. It’ll bug the crap out of them so much they’ll make sure to buckle up first.
Or, you include seatbelt status in the telemetry data and anyone going over 10 mph without seatbelts gets a penalty. Maybe something taken from LeMons. Like writing the section from the rule book regarding seatbelt use on their hood 10 times.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1hfFdowToxY
I would push for a different kind of LeMans start, but I don’t know how they’d implement the time slowing down or the silence.
But yeah, even with belt interlocks, I could see that bringing about a different set of issues. I’m sure the first team whose car wouldn’t start despite a fully fastened belt would raise hell, and I’m sure it’d complicate driver changes.
My Pavlovian solution to the seatbelt issue … redirect the KERS charge to the driver’s seat if the belt isn’t fastened.
Well, it’s not at LeMans, but the LeMans start is still in use, in an abandoned velodrome in an abandoned city in Michigan. No seatbelts necessary.
The time of the LeMans start has come and gone. There is just too much involved in climbing into a racecar anymore. Even if you could make it work safely, the spectacle wouldn’t be there. As silly as it sounds to gripe about the seconds it would take a top tier driver to get harnessed in, it would really create a lull between the sprint to the cars and the moment the first car left the line.
It’s still cool for motorcycle races, though.
The driver restraint system could be modified to something like this: http://cf.ltkcdn.net/themeparks/images/std/153902-425×283-roller-coaster-safety-seats.jpg
It always cool to see the mid-race change of bikes when the rain comes, especially Mark Marquez’s hop/jump style.
http://pix.crash.net/motorsport/710/PA1545741.0008.jpg
Have the co driver run across the track and pull a rope on a recoil starter.
High drama as Loic Duval fiddles with choke, primes carburetor, and cleans spark plug.
To me, running across the track has always seemed slightly silly. What I would like is to have the drivers lined up like that a the start, in qualifying order. Each successive car gets greenlighted individually at half-second intervals. It would make qualifying well super important.
Keep in mind also that today’s racecars no longer have simple lap belts. It takes a lot more than a simple interlock switch to be sure everything is snug and secure.
Maybe have a running portion as a separate qualification, and add head starts based on elapsed times.
No, that’s ridiculous.
http://i1.wp.com/hooniverse.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2013-11-05-depart.jpg
I’d be happy if they just brought back the cars.
Well, Ford is planning on bringing back an updated version next year:
http://cdn-8.motorsport.com/static/img/amp/600000/610000/610000/610600/610698/s6_353708/lemans-ford-returns-to-le-mans-2016-ford-returns-to-le-mans.jpg
Best news of the weekend.
I hope Ford pushes this to the other engines- the 2.3 and 2.0s used in other LM Classes. Ecoboost all the racers.
Terrible idea, IMO.
Besides, it’s not just making sure the seatbelts are fastened, it’s also making sure they’re tightened properly.
And, there’s the danger of actually crossing an active pit lane.