Yes, but fix the damage physics so it's not quite so easy to be raped from every angle in the first lap.

I can't count how many times I have been on the receiving end of and "unfortunate series of events" and died in the first half of the second lap simply because my shield was pegged to 15% out of nowhere, and everyone in front of me keeps deactivating the weapons pads so I can't replenish my shield. it doesn't come down to bad piloting, and it doesn't come down to me whining- I have genuinely disliked the energy-replenish model in multiplayer races ever since Pure established it; having a pit lane is a much more practical solution to the problem. Before "dead is dead" would ever be implemented, they need to tweak quite how much collision damage your ship receives from other ships bumping you and light wall contact.