F1’s alternatives for finals under safety car

The anticlimactic end of the race at Silverstone with all the cars formed behind the safety car has exploded the conversations about How could this type of ending be avoided? that leave viewers wanting something more.

Illustrious figures from the premier class have commented on how this problem that F1 has been facing for many seasons could be resolved. Jenson Button, Martin Brundle and Otmar Szafnauer have spoken out on the matter.

The current problem

The last race at Silverstone is the best example. The safety car was activated on the lap 48 of 52after the accident Max Verstappen.

For the lap 50the car Verstappen was already behind the walls and the ‘Lapped cars may overtake the safety car’ message could be given, which had to be shown one lap before the ‘Safety car enters this lap’ message, which was shown before resuming. Since the first message was not displayed until lap 51there was no time for the race to be resumed.

From the moment you can compete until the race is relaunched, an extra lap passes so that the lapped riders can pass the safety car. If the message is not displayed quickly, as happened at Silverstone, or if the safety car is too late, There are times when the race cannot be resumed..

Extend turns

In America the most important thing is the show. Finishing behind a safety car, without racing and without excitement, is not an option. Therefore, in IndyCar or NASCAR, if a race is about to end in this way, extra laps are added.

This was the option that Jenson Button put on the table: “It’s complicated because (F1 cars) have a very tight fuel load, but it would be nice to see a great final.”

With an extra lap or two, there would be enough time for the safety cars like the one at Silverstone or the one at Abu Dhabi 2021 to finish. On the other hand, it seems difficult for them to be implemented due to the loading of fuel carried by cars.

In Formula 1, every gram counts, so the teams are very precise about the fuel to use in each race. If measured correctly, equipment should run out of fuel if asked to do one or two laps of competition from more to the last minute.

Facilitate unfolding

Martin Brundlespoke in his column for Sky about whether allowing the lapped riders to pass through the pit lane to go to their respective positions or stepping aside and letting the rest pass could be the solution.

This is also something that happens in the IndyCarwhere, if the safety car is in the last 10 laps, the drivers let the rest pass by to relocate to the back, instead of doing the entire circuit.

“We give priority to pilots who, for whatever reason, have not performed sufficiently that dayinstead of the leaders and, more importantly, the fans.” The lapped ones would not be completing the set race distance, but they would still win the show and the drivers who are in better positions are prioritized.

This solution would not help with a safety car that comes out very late in the race, since you would only be saving the lap in which those obligated can overtake you. But it would have been enough last Sunday.

Red flag

The alternative by which, technically, there would be no need to change the regulations is to use the red flag, temporarily suspending the race while the incident on the track is resolved.

It would be at the discretion of the race director when to use it to ensure that at least one competition lap can be completed.

Otmar Szafnauerformer team principal, explains that this was precisely the conversation he had with Nikolas Tombazisthe director of the FIA: “They could have easily raised the red flag in that race. If you raise it for the fans, you are not doing anything that contravenes the regulations.”

During a red flag, yes it is allowed to change tires. Therefore, if the safety car comes out and then the red flag comes out, some cars could have an advantage over others if they decide not to stop when the safety car comes out, as would be the hypothetical case of Russell during the last British GP.

These are the main options that the FIA ​​has on the table to put an end to this problem. Judging by the fact that They already had the opportunity to change it when the championship was decided for it in 2021it seems complicated that they do it now for a career like any other that has ended like this.