Williams chief makes radical proposal - Sport in brief - Evening Standard
       

Williams chief makes radical proposal

Williams co-owner Patrick Head has proposed reversing the start grid in Formula One to improve the spectacle of the sport.

Head wants to see more overtaking in F1 and has proposed the fastest cars starting from the back of the grid and the slowest from the front.

"I would like to see the grids in reverse order of championship position," Head told BBC Sport. "It's the same for everybody, and over a whole season the right guy would still win the championship."

Head believes the current system, with the quickest cars in qualifying starting from the front of the grid, means there is less chance of overtaking.

He said: "I still have to ask the question that if you allow the guys to do all this practice and testing and then you line them up with the fastest at the front and the slowest at the back, why should there be any overtaking?

"Maybe overtaking will be less difficult, but if a guy is back there because by virtue of his own or his car speed he is 0.3 seconds slower than the car in front, why should he overtake [it]?"

But Head is also aware of the pitfalls of his suggestion, such as which car would start at the front of the grid for the first race of the season.

"[There would be the question of] how you would deal with it at the first race.

"And the fastest drivers might say: 'Well, overtaking is a risk and it puts us more at risk than the guys who don't have to do that'.

"I'm sure people would complain about it."

Sport in brief in Pictures

Don't Miss
Gala night for the Queen of arts - stars turn out in their hundreds to pay tribute

Happy & glorious

Stars turn out in their hundreds to pay tribute to Queen
Prints charming: patterned trousers for summer

Prints charming

Patterned trousers for summer
Promethipedia: the lowdown on Ridley Scott's new blockbuster Prometheus

Promethipedia

The lowdown on Ridley Scott's new blockbuster Prometheus
The Middletan: Kate Middleton has the most requested tan in London

The Middletan

Kate Middleton has the most requested tan in London
Amy Childs bares all like Britney

Dare to bare

Amy Childs vajazzles like Britney
Thais go Gaga: singer’s ‘fake rolex’ tweet sparks new tour row... but fans still mob her at airport

Thais go Gaga

Singer mobbed at airport
Trip the bright fantastic - in vertiginous neon

Fashion

Trip the bright fantastic - in vertiginous neon
Chelsea Champions League celebrations - in pictures

Victory parade

Chelsea Champions League celebrations
High-flying heroes

High flying heroes

David Oyelowo reveals all about new film Red Tails
The Twitter Diaries: Think Bridget Jones tries social networking

The Twitter Diaries

Think Bridget Jones tries social networking