Position of Start Lights Moved due to Halo

The Halo safety device blocks the view for drivers of the starting lights.

All circuits will have repositioned starting lights this season due to drivers being unable to see the existing lights due to the halo cockpit protection. The halo has proved difficult enough already for fans and due to the positioning of the central pillar and the bulk of the protection being just above the driver's eye line, the starting lights cannot be seen, particularly on the first row of the grid.

On Friday after the conclusion of free practice one, drivers toured the circuit one last time to form up on the grid and perform practice starts to test the new positioning of the lights and make sure changes had been successful. The new light formation is on the driver's left as they sit on the grid and on the right as you look at the lights going out.

FIA race director Charlie Whiting confirmed that the lights had moved due to the halo obstructing drivers vision and plans were already in place "to make the lights at a standard height above the track".

"Pole position seems to be the worst case scenario with the halo," Whiting added. "Maybe the driver can't quite see the lights, or see only half of them, and he might have to move his head too much."

"We haven't normally allowed practice starts on the grid here because it's quite a tight timetable," Whiting said. "What I thought would be a good idea was to give the driver sight of those lights, rather than for the first time on Sunday evening."

"Those repeat lights were normally halfway up the grid, and they were fitted round about 2009 when the rear wings became higher on the cars," Whiting said. "But now the wings have been lowered, there's no need for those halfway up the grid."