you have to engage the gears if you are using manual gears so doing hand break is this really much of a change.

Just one extra step you have to go through which might add that extra bit of realism to a start.

Even silly people can operate a handbreak at green light in a real car so if lfs is trying to imitate real life then I think people would manage it?

Turn the car on
break/handbreak goes on
push clutch in
rev up to xxx rpm
put it into first
let go of the handbreak
let out the clutch

Even with the auto clutch option that sounds quite simple.

Or people could let off the handbreak and hold the car on the breaks at a start.

I agree initially there would be many wrecks as people get used to it, but people wreck because they forget to put the car into 1st gear at start and after a while it would become habit or put it in reverse as they are fiddling at start. (or was that just me )

Quote from jaykay3000 :

... put it in reverse as they are fiddling at start. (or was that just me )

I have done that once, and never again since. It might be just us two who would make a mistake like that.

AFAIK it was made to auto-lock to stop ppl rolling backwards/forwards at BL1 start line.
Just autospec people who roll backwards/forwards. Same as when you false start too early. Eventually they will learn to hold down the brakes or hold the handbrake at the start. More realistic to make it manual handbrake.

True I get lazy and would prefer it auto-locked, but realism FTW. BTW, my handbrake is the 1337

Quote from JasonJ :

AFAIK it was made to auto-lock to stop ppl rolling backwards/forwards at BL1 start line.
Just autospec people who roll backwards/forwards. Same as when you false start too early. Eventually they will learn to hold down the brakes or hold the handbrake at the start. More realistic to make it manual handbrake.

True I get lazy and would prefer it auto-locked, but realism FTW. BTW, my handbrake is the 1337

Thats why there should be an option that you can choose if you want it or not. Same with Auto-Clutch.

BTW nice handbrake i have the same(joystick)

I've got the same joystick for my shifter.

What about cars without hand brake, like the Formula BMW?
I think we need a warm-up lap, but then again, that would be difficult for dumb players, and would really be unpractical for races that last 1 lap or so.
Or maybe a automatically-pressed brake until the driver touches the brake pedal. I mean, takes control over the brake. Like this: you are placed on the start, brake is 100 % pressed, you press your brake pedal, also, and the game gives you the control of the brake, and you release in on the start. So, if the driver doesn't take "ownership" of the brake pedal, the brake won't be automatically released after the lights go of.