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Formula 1 sporting boss Ross Brawn says that the championship will consider rule changes which encourage more thrilling restarts like those which took place in Brazil.
Drivers are not allowed to overtake at a restart until the control line this year, having previously been allowed to do so at the ‘Safety Car Line One’ prior to pit entry.
At Interlagos, the race leader waited until much closer to the control line to accelerate, whereas standard practice had been to launch upon exit from the final corner.
With the field more bottled up than it otherwise would have been, both restarts saw major battles for position, including Max Verstappen’s outside move on then-leader Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen himself had control of the field for the second restart, and Brawn said the Dutchman’s driving contributed to the spectacle.
“He was particularly strong at the second restart, when he slowed the field right down with the aim of ensuring no one would be able to slipstream past him and snatch victory,” remarked Brawn in his weekend debrief.
“It was an exciting and fascinating restart which will be analysed very carefully, as the closeness of the pack in the seconds leading up to the green flags resulted in a thrilling spectacle as drivers jockeyed for position and where the slightest advantage proved decisive.
“Examining the possibility of procedurally recreating those conditions in future is an interesting concept and one that will undoubtedly be explored in the coming period.”
The final round of the season takes place from November 29-December 1.
