Standing starts still a work in progress
We spoke to Cosworth Engineer Ken Deagle who confirmed our observation. "When the engine is up against the rev limiter the engine is running very rich and slowing cutting power. With the turbo not wound up the engine has very little torque and the guys were stalling it. Tonight we are going to get together with our engineers, put our heads together, and see if we can make the system work better."
Unfortunately the new Champ Car still has a mechanical throttle linkage because if it was fly-by-wire (i.e. electronic) Deagle confirmed that it would be much easier for them to develop a more foolproof system. After tomorrow's standing start practice we will have a better idea whether we will see standing starts in Las Vegas.