planetf1.com

Any reason why the finishing line is the one at the back of the grid instead of the front? As in when the drivers set a qualifying time, the time beacon stops after they cross the line at the back.

Edit: I realized Hungary's finishing line is at the front of the grid.

It's not just Hungary. Same applies to Canada, Monaco, Brazil, Melbourne and many other tracks.

Monza is the other way around, lap ends soon after Parabolica. Can't remember any others but I'm sure there are a few more.

It's track specific.

There's also Sepang, Silverstone, Austin, Bahrain. I also wonder this. I did think it was something to do with distance.

Surely the distance would be the same wherever they had the line? I remember Imola was one of the first tracks to do this - I never wondered why until now!

_________________

Thoughts though. I remember Lewis slowing down in Austin at the start fi ish straight. If the line was at the front and he messed up, and Vettel would have taken the win instead.

I think the line is wherever the FIA guys are, which is normally at the front just before the red bull garage? Im sure someone said that its because they can time the cars etc incase the electronic live timing went down, and probably some other reasons too.

I've always thought they put a different start and finish line in to help the start of the race. If you look at some tracks like Suzuka the finish line is quite soon after the final corner. At a race start, the back half at the field wouldn't be able to see the lights due to the track curving up a hill. So, in order to be fair, I thought they tried to put the start line on the straightest possible piece of track. In some places they had to use a seperate start line, which is only used for race starts, and a finish line, which is used for everything else.

Although, If I remember right, the old spa had a curved start. So there might be another reason.

_________________
Forza Fernando !

It wasn't always like that

_________________
PF1 Pick 10 Competition
Best Round Result: 1st (Monaco 2012)
Podiums: 4
2013 Championship Standing: 78th

I heard that too somewhere. The reason being, if for whatever reason the electronic timing fails, race control is in line with the finish line so they can look out and see who wins the race.