Are the Rolling Starts bugged

[John Smith UK]

The qualifying gaps are the same, no matter what is a qualifying time delta, no matter what form of racing.
In GT7 the gap between cars is annormally large, I believe due to flawed graphic processing, as the frame rate drops are noticeable when you have multiple cars on the screen. I think PD put intentionally the grid well spread to minimize the number of cars to show in almost full detail.

Not a rule on mainstream racing.
F1 and subsequent FIA series, after the leader passed the first safety car line, which is well before the start finish line, the racing starts (in case of slippery surface, race director can decide by a rolling start) or is resumed and everyone can pass even before the safety car line.
In NASCAR, there is the GEICO Restart Zone, which is marked on the exterior wall, usually midway between last corner and start/finish line, were the race starts or is resumed after every caution.
Neither case the start/finish line matters.

In FIA rules the race starts when the leader crosses the line if a rolling start BUT you have to hold station until you have crossed the line was my understanding before you could race

 

[pedrocor]

In FIA rules the race starts when the leader crosses the line if a rolling start BUT you have to hold station until you have crossed the line was my understanding before you could race

Not quite.
According to FIA International Sporting Code, in case of rolling starts (not applicable to F1, because there are always a couple of racing laps behind the SC if the race director decides there aren't safety conditions to do standing starts), the timing starts when the leader crosses the start line, article 8.3.3.
However, on the matter of keeping distances between cars and positions, what matters is the green lights or start signal, not crossing the start line (article 8.6)

 

[Grimm6Jack]

Gr.4 and above category races are always rolling start... single file and with about, easily, 15 meters between each car. It's ridiculous.

The rolling start at Spa is so bad with half the field starting on the main start finish line straight and the rest are on the frickin chicane. How does anyone make any sense of this?

Avoid T1 pile ups? Avoid frame drops?
We have grid starts on 12 cars on race A and it doesn't seem to give any problems whatsoever. And for the T1 chaos... Well, that's racing, just make a better penalty system and much serious car damage that takes away half of your power for 30 seconds. Maybe with that people will learn how to approach T1 with multiple cars going wheel to wheel.

One of the many reasons I don't play Sport races that much. I don't like to waste time to do qualifying, I don't even mind starting last but at the very least with a hope of at least getting a top 5 finish... But it's impossible with single file rolling starts with cars separated by like 15 meters each.

Grid Starts or Double File Rolling Starts, both with cars much closer like in F1 and WEC respectively.

 

[NikNakTobasco]

The joy of not knowing if the auto drive will shift for you never gets old. It’s not going to do it. I better shift; oh it has now I’m a gear too high. It’s going to shift for me, it didn’t, now I’ve bounced off the limiter.

I'd suggest trying to replicate a start like this...

View attachment 1174884

.. is going to be absolute carnage every single time.

We’re limited to 16 cars so we wouldn’t have anything that extreme but I don’t really have time for the argument we shouldn’t have nice things because we aren’t grown up enough. After a while people would work out that ramming everyone is a bad idea. Just penalise all parties for contact.

 

[timmy6321]

The joy of not knowing if the auto drive will shift for you never gets old. It’s not going to do it. I better shift; oh it has now I’m a gear too high. It’s going to shift for me, it didn’t, now I’ve bounced off the limiter.

We’re limited to 16 cars so we wouldn’t have anything that extreme but I don’t really have time for the argument we shouldn’t have nice things because we aren’t grown up enough. After a while people would work out that ramming everyone is a bad idea. Just penalise all parties for contact.

Agree. Other games are harsh on damage and penalties to all involved...... people manage just fine.

Ive only done like 60 Sport races as they just arent fun. Dive bomb punts with no repercussions due to desperation of being somewhere near an opponent and needing to maximise any overtaking opportunity, or single file with no actual racing happening due to cars being so far apart.