Toronto Grand Prix Drivers Argue Over Standing Start
Posted July 5, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Gentlemen start your engines! Just don’t start them too soon. As the Toronto Grand Prix gets ready to rev up new excitement on the Lakeshore this weekend, what would the race be without its usual controversy? This time, drivers are sniping over a new rule being tried for the first time this year – the standing start.
The cars and the people that drive them may be raring to go, but under the new regs. they’re not supposed to burn any rubber until the flag drops. But there’s already allegations that certain racers don’t follow that prohibition and the other guys that do vow they’ll be keeping an eye out for violators.
“It gets to a point where people around here are getting frustrated,” complains Alex Tagliani. “Especially the ones that are trying to respect all these rules.” He’s incensed that no penalties are ever given out and he points to Sebastien Bourdais, who he claims got away with the maneuver last week in Mount Tremblant. The man standing – or in this case sitting – accused doesn’t buy it.
“It’s very tricky,” he argues. “The cars creep quite a bit and everybody’s moving on the grid. So between stealing the start and not stealing the start, it’s sometimes is probably a very fine line to officiate.”
And what would a dispute be without The Thrill from West Hill chiming in? Paul Tracy has made more than his share of enemies on the track over the years, but he believes everyone has to play by the rules. “If a car jumps the start and we see it jump the start and there’s no penalties for it, yet you give a penalty to somebody else for the same thing, it’s not really right,” he contends. “You can’t operate that way.”
All the drivers agree on one thing – they’ll be ready to roar when the engines are turned on in earnest this weekend. They all hope to get an early start on the competition. Just not too early.
See the Grand Prix schedule and events here.
