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Pirelli unsure how standing restarts will work
Tyre supplier Pirelli admits more research needs to be done on the standing restarts rule which has been approved for 2015.
Last week the FIA agreed to the change, which will mean cars will form up on the grid for a stationary start once a safety car returns to the pits, rather than the rolling restarts used currently. The change has been a controversial one among fans and even some drivers, with safety concerns about cars having to restart races on very worn tyres.
Paul Hembery, the supplier's motorsport director, says Pirelli is a long way from understanding exactly how standing restarts will work.
"We need to understand a little bit more detail," Hembery said. "There will be a standing start but after how much time? You see the cars when they come in, there are all sort of blowers that are used, so there are lots of issues involved.
"It's not just about the tyres losing temperature, it's about the cars maybe overheating, so it's something they'll need to perfect. From our point of view we've obviously run behind safety cars, so temperatures and pressures have dropped. We would have to do some simulations to work out how long will they be sat on the grid, and that's something we will want to look at."
Hembery believes F1 should be praised for making radical changes for 2015, such as standing restarts and artificially-created sparks.
"We have to be careful what [we say] 'fans' are. There's fans who watch the racing and then people who are maybe more involved in those details. There's probably the whole of China that doesn't give a damn, quite frankly, about all these aspects and just want to see good racing and a good event!
"I don't think there's anything wrong with creating sparks and creating some visuals. We've got to have a sport which creates some emotions and I think those moves shouldn't be criticised, it's very positive."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
