Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Crow
If the programme is running ahead of time ( which quite often happens even with a packed schedule) why can’t the clock be reset by a few minutes at the end of a safety car period to recover some time lost by the slow laps? Goodwood often do this and it seems to work there.
|
I think there are two problems. The first is fuel capacity in that some cars won't necessarily be able to carry enough fuel to do a few extra laps. Linked to this is that some drivers will inevitably carry enough fuel to do the original race distance (there would be a weight advantage). This would mean that potentially there would be more recoveries at the end of the race to collect cars with no fuel. This would mean that the meeting could quickly switch from running ahead of time to be being behind.
I suspect the issue of fairness also comes into play. If a meeting is running ahead of time, a lengthend race could move it back in line with the timetable. A delay later on could mean that races towards the end of the day getting cut, which seems a bit unfair if competitors are the start of the day were given longer racers.
By keeping race lengths the same and pushing on with the timetable, there is a greater chance of everyone having a comparable experience.
I accept Goodwood does as you suggest. However, the economics of their meetings are different and generally have bigger gaps between races. Therefore, the preceding issues are less likely to occur.