Italian GP: Why did race finish behind Safety Car? The clarification, rival views and Abu Dhabi comparisons

The Safety Car ending to the Italian Grand Prix denied a “grandstand finish” between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc on Sunday, with the odd scenes prompting flashbacks of final season’s Abu Dhabi GP title decider – and differing views from Red Bull and Mercedes’ crew bosses.

With Verstappen now 116 factors forward of Leclerc and doubtlessly one race away from his second Formula 1 world championship, let’s clarify the finale that upset Ferrari’s dwelling followers, and the following feedback…

What occurred and why followers had been denied finale

Verstappen was cruising in direction of his fifth win in a row – 16 seconds forward of the two-stopping Leclerc – when Daniel Ricciardo floor to a halt in his McLaren on Lap 47 of 53, stopping his automobile in between the Lesmos.

While yellow flags had been instantly waved, there was a slight delay earlier than a Safety Car interval was signalled.

Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen wins the Italian Grand Prix because the race ends behind the Safety Car.

Still, Verstappen and Leclerc adopted lots of their rivals into the pits on the next lap, becoming gentle tyres as groups anticipated the race to get below method once more shortly for an epic finale.

However, beneficial time was wasted when the Safety Car got here out in entrance of George Russell’s automobile, in third, and never Verstappen. It additionally did not initially launch Russell and the 11 vehicles between him and the chief.

Mercedes informed Russell to overhaul the Safety Car, though the British driver refrained, with no inexperienced mild displaying to provide him confidence to take action.

Another hindrance was the very fact marshals had been unable to maneuver Riccardo’s automobile, and a cherry picker solely began to get well it with three laps remaining.

Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant

Christian Horner admits they’d have most popular Max Verstappen to win the race below regular racing laws, relatively than behind the Safety Car.

Shortly after, Russell and the opposite vehicles had been allowed to make their well beyond the Safety Car, however Verstappen solely received to his required place on the entrance of the Safety Car queue on the finish of Lap 51 of 53.

“At this point it became clear there wasn’t going to be enough time for all the cars to circle back around, join the train, and then release the lapped cars to finish the race under green flag conditions,” mentioned Sky Sports F1’s Karun Chandhok.

Verstappen and Leclerc had been break up by two lapped vehicles – Yuki Tsunoda and Valtteri Bottas – on the penultimate lap, when the Monegasque was informed earlier than the ultimate lap that this was how it will end.

That prompted cries of “come on, the track is clear” from Leclerc, and boos from the followers. Verstappen was additionally booed on the rostrum.

Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc says it was unlucky that he was not in a position to struggle for win within the closing levels, with the race ending behind the Safety Car.

What was mentioned and why Red Bull, Merc disagree

The Safety Car end on Sunday was the other ending to what occurred in Abu Dhabi final 12 months, when Race Director Michael Masi did convey the Safety Car in, permitting vehicles to un-lap themselves shortly, earlier than Verstappen pounced on sitting duck Hamilton to say a controversial title.

On this event, the foundations had been adopted appropriately by Race Director Niels Wittich, although Christian Horner made it clear after the race that Red Bull needed the race to restart regardless of Verstappen’s benefit.

“We don’t want to win a race under a Safety Car,” the crew boss informed Sky Sports F1. “It’s something we’ve talked about for many many years, that they should finish racing.

“There was sufficient time to get that race going. I believe they picked up the incorrect vehicles, picked up Russell.

Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto was sad with FIA’s implementation of the Safety Car laws within the closing levels of the race.

“We had the faster car and we would have liked to win the race on the track, not behind the Safety Car. We share the disappointment of all the fans, because it took away a grandstand finish.

“It goes in opposition to the ideas of what we have mentioned beforehand. The largest losers had been the followers.”

Leclerc said he was “anticipating the restart” but acknowledged that “possibly there have been issues within the background” stopping it. Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto, though, was even firmer than Horner with his words.

“Finishing behind a Safety Car isn’t nice, not for us, however F1 and the present,” he said. “I believe there was time for the FIA to behave in another way in the present day.

“The Safety Car came in front of George but even so, I think there was no reason not to release the cars between the Safety Car and the leader. If we are simply waiting for safety, we know that now there’s a minimum lap time, so it’s fully safe to run.

“To wait a lot, it is merely incorrect and never nice for the game. After Abu Dhabi final 12 months, we had lengthy discussions with the game as a result of the ultimate goal is to attempt to restart the race in a secure method, and I believe in the present day we may have.

Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says his drivers’ third and fifth-place finishes had been the perfect they may have hoped for on the Italian Grand Prix.

“The FIA changed a lot in that area, but still I think they need more experience and they need to do a better job, because F1 deserves it.”

Toto Wolff, who was so livid after final 12 months’s Abu Dhabi defeat, gave a pointed response – saying that “this time” the foundations had been adopted appropriately.

“The Race Directors are always going to be under criticism but I think this time they followed the rules – maybe they could have done it a lap sooner – and they accepted the race ends under the Safety Car.

“This is the way it must be.”

The FIA’s explanation and how it could have ended

Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz revealed the explanation from the FIA afterwards.

“They mentioned the marshals could not push it, they’d hoped to get well the automobile faster however doing that every one takes time,” he reported.

“They additionally mentioned it is essential to get the vehicles to bunch as much as permit the marshals area to get well Ricciardo’s automobile.

“If there is a question, it’s about the lost Lap 50, why the green light was not shown earlier to Russell, especially as his Mercedes team were saying they think he can go by.”

Chandhok agreed that “procedurally, the Race Directors did everything right… they followed the rulebook, no question about it” – however got here up with an alternate state of affairs that will have given a greater end.

“My personal view is that in light of what happened in Abu Dhabi, if we have an incident in the last five laps, it becomes an automatic red flag with a standing start,” he mentioned. “I think for all of us, it was a little bit of an anticlimactic finish.”

Ted, in the meantime, concluded: “Was the Race Director playing it steady? Yes. Could he have been quicker? Yes.

“But was it a simply end in the way in which Abu Dhabi wasn’t? Yes.”