F1 Safety Car controversy reignited as Button and Brundle propose different fixes
Yellow flag extension? Red flag? Or have backmarkers pull into the pits?
Jenson Button has proposed that Formula 1 adopts an IndyCar and NASCAR-style solution to prevent races finishing behind the Safety Car, but Martin Brundle believes there’s a better fix that wouldn’t create fresh problems.
The British Grand Prix ended under the Safety Car, which had been deployed on Lap 48 of the 52-lap race, when Max Verstappen went spinning out of the race at Stowe.
Jenson Button and Martin Brundle offer different Safety Car finish solutions
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The Silverstone marshals cleared Verstappen’s beached RB22, and it appeared as if the race would get underway with one lap remaining, only for the Safety Car to stay out and lead race leader Charles Leclerc as the final lap began.
There had been some confusion as the Safety Car “in this lap” message was shown on Lap 51, but the FIA confirmed that was “displayed erroneously due to a software error”.
After all, Article B5.13.5 b) states that “once the message ‘LAPPED CARS MAY NOW OVERTAKE’ has been sent to all competitors, the Safety Car will return to the pits at the end of the following lap”. That message only came through on Lap 51, meaning the Safety Car could only come in on Lap 52, the final lap.
And so Bernd Mayländer peeled into the pits, leaving Leclerc to lead the field through Vale and Club and onto the Hamilton Straight to take the chequered flag without a Safety Car in front of him that would mar the photographs.
But it was a neutralised pack that took the chequered flag to the disappointment of the sell-out crowd.
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Button has proposed Formula 1 look at the yellow flag regulations used by IndyCar and NASCAR as a possible solution for the future. He does, however, concede that given there’s no refuelling in Formula 1, it may not be an ideal solution.
“It would be nice,” the 2009 world champion told Sky Sports. “I mean it’s very difficult because of fuel loads and stuff, but other forms of motorsport, especially in the States, they push it an extra lap or push it an extra two laps.
“If you get a yellow flag in that period it gets pushed on again.”
But, he reiterated, “It’s tricky because they [F1 cars] are very tight on fuel loads, but it would be nice to see a great finale.”
His fellow Sky commentator Brundle has what could be a better solution, one also drawn from IndyCar racing.
Instead of backmarkers unlapping themselves, they should pull into the pits, let the leaders line up in race order, and then file in behind them. That would negate the lap needed for them to unlap themselves.
After all, says Brundle, they’ve already shown that they are not “good enough” to fight for the win.
“There are potential fixes,” the former F1 driver wrote in his column for Sky.
“In IndyCar, for example, if it’s within the last 10 laps, instead of a wave-by the lapped cars are made to peel off into the pit lane and rejoin at the back of the field. Or we could simply have the lapped runners simply drop behind the pack.
“Or throw a red flag and have a standing restart in race order, although this takes a while.
“Instead, we prioritise runners who haven’t been good enough, for whatever reason, on the day, instead of the leaders and most importantly the fans.”
He added: “I used to have robust conversations with the very sadly departed Charlie Whiting about this, because it makes no sense especially as the rules state that the Safety Car will recover to the pits on the lap following allowing lapped runners through.
“Abu Dhabi 2021 anybody?”
Former F1 team principal Otmar Szafnauer reckons throwing a red flag is the best option.
Not only is it not against the regulations, but it would also allow fans to watch the race finish as a race.
“I did call the FIA,” he told the High Performance Racing. “I talked to Nikolas [Tombazis], and I thought what Nikolas told me was the reason that they did it.
“And for sure, the FIA followed the current rules, but they have the option to red flag it.
“They could have easily red-flagged that race.
“And when I told him that, he said, ‘Red flag it for that?’ I said, ‘No, red flag it for the fans.’ And if you red flag it for the fans, you’re doing nothing that contravenes the rules.
“So, there is a point where if you want to make it exciting at the end and you want to follow the rules, which you should, unlike in 2021, red-flag it.”
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