Sainz welcomes increased driver input in race starts

Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz has given his backing to new proposals to increase drivers’ influence on race starts.

The F1 Strategy Group have agreed to increase restrictions on driver aids and coaching from next month’s Belgian Grand Prix, with a particular emphasis on race starts, which at present are heavily influenced by electronics.

Despite being only eight races into his F1 career, Sainz said he welcomes any moves that put more emphasis on driver skill.

“I know zero details about what they want to ban, but if they want the driver to play a bigger role when the lights go out in terms of managing torque maps and things like that then I think it’s a positive thing,” the Spaniard commented.

“If it’s more and more driver dependant and the driver can make a difference with his feelings and his calls, it’s more than welcome.”

However, Sainz did concede that the complexity of the current start procedures would have to change if the driver assumes complete control.

“We have to make it a bit more simple,” he said. “At the moment we have so many parameters [on the car]. It would be very difficult for the driver to choose one of a hundred [in order] to know how to do the best start.

“But we will see. First we need details from the FIA to see what they want to ban.”

Amongst a raft of proposals, the Strategy Group also agreed several changes for 2016, including tweaks to F1 exhaust systems to improve engine noise, and giving teams an increased freedom of tyre compounds over a race weekend.

However, these changes still need to be rubber-stamped by the FIA's World Motor Sport Council (WMSC).