22/03/2019
NEWS STORY
Following complaints from a number of drivers in Melbourne, the FIA is to seek a solution in time for next week's Bahrain Grand Prix.
The new aero regulations for 2019 mean the rear wing is now wider and higher than its predecessor and as a result a number of drivers had difficulty seeing the start lights last weekend.
"I actually had a bit of a panic because when I stopped I couldn't see the lights," revealed Robert Kubica, who view of the lights was obscured by the rear wing on Carlos Sainz' car. "The rear-wing of the McLaren was hiding it, so I could see the first block but not the rest.
"Then I had to move to the left and there was an additional light so it was a bit of a panic moment," he added.
Another driver who admitted to not being able to see the lights was Pierre Gasly, who was starting alongside Sainz and behind the Toro Rosso of Daniil Kvyat.
"With the new bigger rear-wings, I couldn't see the lights on the grid," said the Frenchman, "so I had to react with the cars around me and I lost a couple of places."
Aware of the issue, the FIA says a fix will be in place in time for Bahrain next week, with the problem seeming to affect only those at the back of the grid, it is likely that either the start light panels will be repositioned or an extra panel installed.