Ferrari's Vasseur pushes back on calls to change F1 race start procedure

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has firmly rejected increasing pressure from rivals to alter Formula 1's race start procedure, stating the rules are clear and teams must design their cars to comply. Vasseur revealed he warned the FIA last year that starts would be difficult with the new-generation cars but was told the onus is on the teams, not the regulations. His comments come as other teams, notably Mercedes' George Russell, have suggested Ferrari's opposition is delaying potential changes, despite the Italian squad's SF-26 consistently demonstrating strong launch performance.

Why it matters:

The debate over start procedures touches on a fundamental principle of F1: the balance between sporting fairness and technical innovation. Changing a fundamental sporting rule to accommodate specific car designs sets a precedent that could lead to constant regulatory tweaks favoring different teams each season. For Ferrari, which has mastered the current procedure, any change could negate a competitive advantage, highlighting how technical and sporting regulations are deeply intertwined in the battle for performance.

The details:

• Vasseur disclosed that he approached the FIA ahead of the 2023 season, warning that race starts would be "difficult" with the new ground-effect cars under the current rules.
• The FIA's response was unequivocal: "you have to design the car to fit the regulations, not change the regulations to fit the car."
• The start procedure was already modified recently, introducing a five-light sequence with a brief blue light before lights out, a change Vasseur says "didn't help us at all."
• Mercedes driver George Russell has publicly implied that "one particular team"—understood to be Ferrari—is blocking further revisions to the start process, calling such a stance "selfish."
• Ferrari's resistance is pragmatic; the SF-26 has been one of the quickest cars off the line this season, making any procedural change an unnecessary risk to a proven strength.

What's next:

While Vasseur admitted the conversation is "not a closed case," the momentum for change faces significant opposition. The FIA's initial stance places the burden of adaptation squarely on the teams' engineering departments. Unless a clear safety issue emerges or a majority of teams build a compelling case, the current start procedure is likely to remain. This stalemate underscores the continuous off-track political maneuvering in F1, where every rule discussion is also a battle for competitive positioning.