(Motorsport-Total.com) – Otmar Szafnauer criticized the FIA for the decision to bring the safety car onto the track after Max Verstappen’s accident in the final phase of the British Grand Prix. With only five laps remaining, the former Alpine team principal believed that a red flag would have been the better solution.
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The British Grand Prix was neutralized after Verstappen went into the gravel trap at Stowe Corner and had to stop his Red Bull. The safety car came out on lap 48 with five laps remaining. Since the prescribed unlapping of lapped cars was then carried out, there was not enough time to restart the race. Charles Leclerc thus celebrated his first win of the season ahead of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
Szafnauer sees this as a missed opportunity for an exciting finale. In the High Performance Racing Podcast, he explains that while the FIA acted according to the rules, another option was available. “I called the FIA. I spoke with Nikolas Tombazis, and I believe what Nikolas told me was the reason why they made that decision,” says Szafnauer.
However, he emphasizes that from his point of view, the race control could also have used a red flag: “The FIA followed the applicable rules, but they have the option to show a red flag. They could have easily interrupted this race with a red flag.”
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Szafnauer brings red flag into play
According to his own statement, he directly addressed this option with Tombazis. “When I told him that, he asked: ‘A red flag for that?’ I replied: ‘No, a red flag for the fans.’ And if you show a red flag for the fans, you are not breaking any rules.”
Szafnauer also refers to the controversial events of the 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi. In his view, a race interruption in such a situation can both provide an exciting finale and comply with sporting regulations. “If you want to create excitement at the end and at the same time follow the rules, which you should do in contrast to 2021, then you have to show the red flag.”
The FIA itself decided on the regular safety car procedure in the Silverstone incident and applied the existing rules for unlapping. As a result, the field remained neutralized until the checkered flag, so there was no restart in the final laps.
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