After problematic practice starts during winter testing in Bahrain, Formula 1 adopted the pre-start procedure, giving teams a five-second warning with blue flashing lights once all cars line up following the formation lap. Ferrari, with its smaller turbo, initially resisted extending the procedure beyond what Fred Vasseur deemed acceptable.

Nikolas Tombazis, FIA single-seater director, confirmed the five-second process will remain for the 2027 season, stating it has become an established routine. He emphasized it addresses timing differences between cars reaching the grid rather than safety concerns.

The FIA introduced a "low power start detection" system following a dangerous incident at the Melbourne season opener, where Liam Lawson started extremely slowly and Franco Colapinto narrowly avoided collision. This system automatically triggers MGU-K deployment to ensure minimum acceleration when a car accelerates unusually slowly after clutch release, preventing potential stalling scenarios.

Tombazis clarified the system prevents disasters but cannot provide competitive advantage, merely turning disastrous starts into merely bad ones. With safety concerns addressed, the FIA sees no reason to remove the pre-start procedure.