The safety car incident at the British Grand Prix has drawn criticism—former Formula 1 driver Martin Brundle is now calling for a radical rethink by the FIA
Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports expert Martin Brundle has urged the FIA to revise the safety car regulations. Following the unsatisfactory conclusion of the British Grand Prix, he proposes three concrete solutions.
The race at the legendary Silverstone Circuit seemed to be heading toward a thrilling finale: Charles Leclerc was leading in the final laps but was under pressure from the fast-approaching 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 Stowe Corner.
No Finale for the Fans
The race ultimately ended behind the safety car, denying hopeful spectators an exciting finish. The unsatisfying conclusion was the result of the lap-back procedure.
On lap 51, the race director allowed the lapped cars in question to pass the leaders. As Brundle noted in his post-race column for Sky Sports F1, this system can unnecessarily prolong safety car periods on long circuits like Silverstone.
“Provided it is deemed safe—which, on a dry, sunny day with no people, debris, or stranded cars on the track, was understandably the case—the race director can allow eligible lapped cars to overtake the leading pack and pull away at a faster but safe speed,” wrote the former race car driver.
Brundle Criticizes the Finish
“I believe this was introduced to ensure that stragglers don’t interfere with the battle at the front and influence the result. And as a supposed advantage, it has occasionally brought drivers further back in the race back into the thick of the action. But the system is guaranteed to prolong the safety car phase excessively, especially on long circuits like Silverstone and Spa.“
”I’ve had heated discussions about this in the past with Charlie Whiting, who sadly passed away far too soon, because it just doesn’t make sense. Especially since the regulations state that the safety car returns to the pits during the lap following the wave-through of the lapped cars. Abu Dhabi 2021—does anyone remember that?”
Brundle proposed three changes that could be introduced to avoid this situation in future races.
Possible solutions
“There are potential solutions. In the IndyCar Series, for example, if it’s within the last ten laps, instead of being waved through, the lapped cars are directed into the pit lane and rejoin the race at the back of the field,” he added. “Or we could simply let the lapped drivers drop back behind the field.”
“Or you could display the red flag and have a standing restart in race order, even though that takes a while. Instead, we’re favoring drivers who, for whatever reason, weren’t good enough that day over the leaders—and, most importantly, the fans.”
It’s also worth looking beyond our own horizons: Series like the TCR or the NASCAR Euro Series have the option to add laps to the race distance after safety car periods. NASCAR does not allow finishes under yellow if there’s a crash before the final lap. In that case, there’s what’s called “overtime,” meaning the race is restarted with two laps remaining.