It's interesting to see how there was fairly strong support for the restart from drivers, commentators, etc on the basis of "we're in the entertainment business", which feels a fairly US-centric viewpoint? It's coming into F1 too, but I think there's still a (diminishing?) sense in F1 that the sport has rules and the entertainment value should fit around that, not vice versa. It doesn't sit right with me that you invent a completely new restart procedure with 2 laps to go, and put drivers into an untested hazardous scenario as a result. If you're so desperate to make a spectacle of the end of the race, come up with a scenario which extends the race length as necessary. It's no less artificial to run 201 laps.
Yeah, I get what you're saying with all that and do not disagree at all. We might not have been in that position at all had race control made the red flag calls quicker than they did. Each one was a delayed decision. There is some irony in It though, given that tweets have surfaced of Ericsson seemingly supporting F1's decision to go back racing in Abu Dhabi. Realistically though, it was a risky move going back racing in the manner they did, and thankfully it didn't backfire. But procedure should always come before the spectacle, but weirdly, I think Indycar's rules don't exclude that kind of restart. It's seems very out of the ordinary though and extremely risky.
Speaking of restart procedures, they waved off the penultimate restart once because the field were too slow, could Ericsson have forced the same scenario on the final lap restart, and won the race that way? Curious if the "dragon line" (or whatever they were calling it) stays legal for the next 500. Doing 220 mph aimed directly at an unprotected pit entry/pit wall feels like a recipe for disaster, especially when someone is trying to stay in the tow. The 500 is dangerous enough without that kind of tactic. Feels like an easy fix to say you can't go into the pit entry area unless you intend to pit.
Technically, yes he could have. It wouldn't have been particularly sporting though and I think he'd have felt the wrath of the fans. And yeah I don't like that line in to the pits at all, it's just screams of disaster waiting to happen. Either two cars smashing down the pit lane or in to the wall. I thought some of the weaving was bang out of order too.
This new track in Detroit has the potential to be absolute carnage tomorrow. Could be an utter mess. Makes me feel a bit uneasy.
No kidding! It worked out better than I anticipated until towards the end when it descended in to a bit of chaos.