F1 2027 Pre-Start Procedure Set to Stay, Says FIA

Nikolas Tombazis, the FIA's single-seater director, has confirmed that the five-second pre-start procedure introduced this season is likely to remain for the 2027 Formula 1 campaign. Despite the safety concerns that prompted the rule being addressed through other means, the procedure has become an established part of racing.

The pre-start procedure was born out of chaos during winter testing in Bahrain, where many teams struggled to prepare their turbochargers and build engine revs. Ferrari, with its smaller turbo, was at an advantage and opposed any extension. The compromise was a five-second warning with blue flashing lights on the grid once all cars have lined up.

Fred Vasseur, the Ferrari team principal, made it clear at the time that this was the maximum his team would accept, stating "enough is enough". Now, the main safety concerns have been resolved, but Tombazis believes the procedure will stay.

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"I think the five seconds are an established process now, I don't see why it would change in this regulation cycle," Tombazis told media including Autosport. He added that it is not a safety issue, but rather about ensuring drivers have time to prepare for a proper start.

"It's more about cars arriving at the grid at different times, and drivers need to be able to prepare. The electrical part is more of a safety topic," he explained. This refers to the low-power start detection system developed after the Melbourne incident, where Liam Lawson made a very slow start and Franco Colapinto narrowly avoided him.

The FIA introduced an automatic MGU-K deployment to ensure a minimum level of acceleration if a car is detected to be too slow off the line. Tombazis noted that since the Miami package, they have been working on emergency recovery to prevent cars stalling and improve start-line safety.

With the electrical safety net in place, the five-second procedure now serves more as a timing cue for drivers rather than a pure safety measure. The final decision rests with the FIA and teams, but Tombazis' signals are clear: this procedure is here to stay.