136) 30 minutes before the time for the start of the race, the cars will leave the pits to cover a reconnaissance lap. At the end of this lap they will stop on the grid in starting order with their engines stopped. Should they wish to cover more than one reconnaissance lap, this must be done by driving down the pit lane at greatly reduced speed between each of the laps.
137) 17 minutes before the starting time, a warning signal announcing the closing of the pit exit in 2 minutes will be given. 15 minutes before the starting time, the pit exit will be closed and a second warning signal will be given. Any car which is still in the pits can start from the pits provided it reached the pit exit under its own power. If more than one car is affected they must line up in the order in which they reached the pit exit.
Where the pit exit is immediately after the Line, cars will join the race when the whole field has passed the pit exit on its first racing lap. Where the pit exit is immediately before the Line, cars will join the race as soon as the whole field has crossed the Line after the start.
138) Refuelling on the starting grid may only be carried out prior to the 5 minute signal and by using one unpressurised container with a maximum capacity of 12 litres. Any such container may not be refilled during the starting procedure and must be fitted with one or more dry break couplings connecting it to the car.
139) The approach of the start will be announced by signals shown ten minutes, five minutes, three minutes, one minute and fifteen seconds before the start of the formation lap, each of which will be accompanied by an audible warning. When the ten minute signal is shown, everybody except drivers, officials and team technical staff must leave the grid.
When the five minute signal is shown all cars must have their wheels fitted. After this signal wheels may only be removed in the pits. Any car which does not have all its wheels fitted at the five minute signal must start the race from the back of the grid or the pit lane.
When the one minute signal is shown, engines should be started and all team personnel must leave the grid by the time the 15 second signal is given. If any driver needs assistance after the 15 second signal he must raise his arm and, when the remainder of the cars able to do so have left the grid, his team may attempt to rectify the problem. In this case, marshals with yellow flags will stand beside any car (or cars) concerned to warn drivers behind.
When the green lights are illuminated, the cars will begin the formation lap with the pole position driver leading. When leaving the grid, all drivers must proceed at a greatly reduced speed until clear of any Team personnel standing beside the track.
During the formation lap practice starts are forbidden and the formation must be kept as tight as possible. Overtaking during the formation lap is only permitted if a car is delayed when leaving its grid position and cars behind cannot avoid passing it without unduly delaying the remainder of the field. In this case, drivers may only overtake to re-establish the original starting order.
Any driver who is delayed leaving the grid may not overtake another moving car if he was stationary after the remainder of the cars had crossed the Line, and must start the race from the back of the grid. If more than one driver is affected, they must form up at the back of the grid in the order they left to complete the formation lap.
If the Line is not situated in front of pole position, for the purposes of this Article only, it will be deemed to be a white line one metre in front of pole position. A time penalty will be imposed on any driver who, in the opinion of the Stewards, unnecessarily overtook another car during the formation lap.
140) Any driver who is unable to start the formation lap must raise his arm and, after the remainder of the cars have crossed the Line, his mechanics may attempt to rectify the problem under the supervision of the marshals.
If the car is still unable to start the formation lap it will be pushed into the pit lane by the shortest route and the mechanics may work on the car again.
141) When the cars come back to the grid at the end of the formation lap, they will stop on their respective grid positions, keeping their engines running. Once all the cars have come to a halt the five second signal will appear followed by the four, three, two and one second signals. At any time after the one second signal appears, the race will be started by extinguishing all red lights.
142) There will be a standing start. The starting signal will be given by means of starting lights activated by the permanent starter. During the start of a race, the pit wall must be kept free of all persons with the exception of properly authorised officials and fire marshals all of whom shall have been issued with and shall be wearing the appropriate pass.
143) Any car which is unable to maintain starting order during the entire formation lap or is moving when the one second light comes on must enter the pit lane and start from the pits as specified in Article 137. This will not apply to any car which is temporarily delayed during the lap and which is able to regain its position, without endangering itself or any other car, before the leading car has taken up its position on the grid.
144) If, after returning to the starting grid at the end of the formation lap, a car develops a problem that could endanger the start, the driver must immediately raise his hands above his head and the marshal responsible for that row must immediately wave a yellow flag.
If the start is delayed as a result, a marshal with a yellow flag will stand in front of the car concerned to prevent it from moving until the whole field has left the grid on the new formation lap. The driver concerned may then start the race from the back of the grid and any vacant positions will not be filled.
Should there be more than one car involved, their new positions at the back of the grid will be determined in accordance with their respective final grid positions. If a problem cannot be rectified before the commencement of the new formation lap the car must be pushed into the pit lane by the shortest route. The Team may then attempt to rectify the problem and, if successful, the car may then start from the pit lane. Should there be more than one car involved their starting order from the pit lane will be determined by the order in which they reached the pit exit under their own power.
145) If a problem arises when the cars reach the starting grid at the end of the formation lap the following procedure shall apply :
a) If the race has not been started, the abort lights will be switched on, all engines will be stopped and the new formation lap will start 5 minutes later with the race distance reduced by one lap. The next signal will be the three minute signal.
b) If the race has been started the marshals alongside the grid will wave their yellow flags to inform the drivers that a car is stationary on the grid.
c) If, after the start, a car is immobilised on the starting grid, it shall be the duty of the marshals to push it into the pit lane by the fastest route. If the driver is able to re-start the car whilst it is being pushed he may rejoin the race.
d) If the driver is unable to start the car whilst it is being pushed his mechanics may attempt to start it in the pit lane. If the car then starts it may rejoin the race. The driver and mechanics must follow the instructions of the track marshals at all times during such a procedure.
146) Should Article 145 apply, the race will nevertheless count for the Championship no matter how often the procedure is repeated, or how much the race is shortened as a result.
147) No refuelling will be allowed on the grid if more than one start procedure proves necessary under Article 145.
148) A time penalty will be imposed for a false start judged using an FIA supplied transponder which must be fitted to the car as specified.
149) Only in the following cases will any variation in the start procedure be allowed :
a) If it starts to rain after the five minute signal but before the race is started and, in the opinion of the race director Teams should be given the opportunity to change tyres, the abort lights will be shown on the Line and the starting procedure will begin again at the 15 minute point. If necessary the procedure set out in Article 145 will be followed.
b) If the start of the race is imminent and, in the opinion of the race director, the volume of water on the track is such that it cannot be negotiated safely even on wet-weather tyres, the abort lights will be shown on the Line simultaneously with a "10" board with a red background. This "10" board with a red background will mean that there is to be a delay of ten minutes before the starting procedure can be resumed. If weather conditions have improved at the end of that ten minute period, a "10" board with a green background will be shown. The "10" board with a green background will mean that the green light will be shown in ten minutes. Five minutes after the "10" board with the green background is shown, the starting procedure will begin and the normal starting procedure signals (i.e. 5, 3, 1 min., 15 second) will be shown.
If however, the weather conditions have not improved within ten minutes after the "10" board with the red background was shown, the abort lights will be shown on the Line and the "10" board with the red background will be shown again which will mean a further delay of ten minutes before the starting procedure can be resumed. This procedure may be repeated several times. At any time when a "10" board (with either a red or green background) is shown, it will be accompanied by an audible warning.
c) If the race is started behind the safety car, Article 154n) will apply.
150) The stewards may use any video or electronic means to assist them in reaching a decision. The stewards may overrule judges of fact. A breach of the provisions of the Code or these Sporting Regulations relating to starting procedure, may result in the exclusion of the car and driver concerned from the Event.
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