A pit lane start occurs when a Formula 1 driver begins the race from the pit lane rather than from their designated grid position. This happens when the car has required significant changes after the formation lap — such as a nose replacement or setup adjustment — that are not permitted under parc fermé rules without accepting the pit lane start penalty. The driver waits in their garage while the rest of the field completes the formation lap, then joins the race from the pit lane once the lights go out.
Example: He’ll start from the pit lane after the team had to change the front wing following that formation lap incident.
A pit lane start is not the same as a grid penalty. A grid penalty moves a driver back a set number of places on the grid; a pit lane start means the driver does not start from the grid at all.
See Also: