– Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports expert Martin Brundle has urgently called on the FIA to revise the safety car regulations. After the unsatisfactory end of the British Grand Prix, he proposes three concrete solutions.
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The race at the legendary Silverstone Circuit seemed to be heading for an exciting finale: Charles Leclerc was leading in the final laps but was under pressure from the charging Kimi Antonelli.
However, on lap 48 of 52, the safety car was deployed after four-time world champion Max Verstappen got stuck in the gravel trap at the Stowe corner.
No finale for the fans
The race ultimately ended behind the safety car, denying hopeful spectators an exciting finish. The unsatisfactory ending was the result of the lapping procedure.
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On lap 51, the race director allowed the relevant lapped cars to overtake the leaders. As Brundle noted in his column after the race on Sky Sports F1, this system can unnecessarily prolong safety car phases on long tracks like Silverstone.
“Provided it is deemed safe – which was understandably the case on a dry, sunny day without people, debris, or stranded cars on the track – the race director can allow the eligible lapped cars to overtake the leading pack and drive away at a faster but safe speed,” wrote the former racer.
Brundle criticizes the finish
“I believe this was introduced to ensure that backmarkers do not interfere with the fight at the front and influence the result. And as an alleged advantage, it occasionally brought drivers back fully into the action later in the race. But the system definitely prolongs the safety car phase excessively, especially on long tracks like Silverstone and Spa.”
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“I had intense discussions about this earlier with the sadly much too early deceased Charlie Whiting because it simply makes no sense. Especially since the regulations state that the safety car returns to the pits in the lap following the letting through of the lapped cars. Abu Dhabi 2021, anyone remembers?”
Brundle proposed three changes that could be introduced to avoid this situation in future races.
The possible solutions
“There are potential solutions. In the IndyCar series, for example, if it is within the last ten laps, instead of being let through, the lapped cars are directed into the pit lane and rejoin at the back of the field,” he added. “Or we could simply let the lapped drivers fall back behind the field.”
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“Or you show the red flag and have a standing restart in the order of the race, although that takes a while. Instead, we prefer drivers who for whatever reason were not good enough that day, rather than the leaders and – most importantly – the fans.”
It is also worth looking beyond the horizon: series like TCR or NASCAR Euro Series have the option to add laps to the race distance after safety car phases. NASCAR avoids finishes under yellow if there is a crash before the last lap. Then there is so-called ‘overtime,’ meaning the race is restarted with two laps remaining.
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