2019 Brazilian Grand Prix - Interlagos, 15-17 November

[Jolle]

Either way, a completely unnecessary safety car had a huge impact on the race dynamic and the race result. It also led directly to the need for the second safety car.

While it was a lot of fun action for a casual viewer and a way to put the sport across as action packed, you really have to question the motives behind sending the SC out in the first place. Was it really for safety, when VSC or double yellows would more than likely have sufficed given where Bottas diligently parked his car, or was it for entertainment value?

I do wonder if stewards and race director are told behind the scenes by the F1 top brass that creating drama, talking points and clicks on news stories is good for the sport and it's global profile...

you are finding it unneccessary and then question WHY they sending out the SC (which is already answered i believe)

but anyway again.... the first SC HAD to come out because the car of Bottas couldn't be moved manually and a crane was needed <---- THIS has the immediate effect that a SC is coming out, its anchored in the safety regulations (due to the Bianchi accident probably)

So it was all okay that the SC came out and not discussable at all

The safety car coming out is 1 thing. Keeping it out for 3 extra lap just do cars could unlap themselves? Nuts.

good timing to have a cigaret, make some coffee and have a pee

[NathanOlder]

Yeah, its a complete joke, lapped cars should just filter back to the rear of the pack. Dont worry about 1 lap or 2 laps down ect, just stay in that order but go behind the last car on the lead lap. would take 1 straight to do so.

[El Scorchio]

Either way, a completely unnecessary safety car had a huge impact on the race dynamic and the race result. It also led directly to the need for the second safety car.

While it was a lot of fun action for a casual viewer and a way to put the sport across as action packed, you really have to question the motives behind sending the SC out in the first place. Was it really for safety, when VSC or double yellows would more than likely have sufficed given where Bottas diligently parked his car, or was it for entertainment value?

I do wonder if stewards and race director are told behind the scenes by the F1 top brass that creating drama, talking points and clicks on news stories is good for the sport and it's global profile...

you are finding it unneccessary and then question WHY they sending out the SC (which is already answered i believe)

but anyway again.... the first SC HAD to come out because the car of Bottas couldn't be moved manually and a crane was needed <---- THIS has the immediate effect that a SC is coming out, its anchored in the safety regulations (due to the Bianchi accident probably)

So it was all okay that the SC came out and not discussable at all

I have to disagree with you (and the regulations I suppose, if it's in there)- I think given where Bottas' car was parked that VSC would have been sufficient. Were it on the outside of the track or at a corner then absolutely full SC was the way to go. Either way, it happened anyway.

Certainly what another poster said about cars unlapping themselves is true. It was definitely not necessary to keep it out that long, and that certainly had the desired effect of manufacturing a grandstand finish...

[NathanOlder]

I thought the VSC was created for just this kind of thing! Why not use it ?

[Just_a_fan]

I wonder if the rules ought to allow for a "safety lane" in such situations. Have a localised VSC zone with a "drivers must drive within 1m of the opposite track edge past the incident whilst using the pit lane limiter" type rule. State that the drivers must slow between the first and second yellow boards before the incident. Then they would just have to show the appropriate caution boards, the drivers slow accordingly and crawl past the recovery before getting back on it again. No one is doing more than 80km/h near the marshals and their crane, everyone is well separated from the marshals etc. This is the sort of thing they do at Le Mans and it works ok there.

[cplchanb]

I thought the VSC was created for just this kind of thing! Why not use it ?

Honestly, I lament the precedence that was set by this. The car is clearly off the racing line on the inside corner where only a bonehead can actually have a chance of hitting it. Why dont they just leave it there if they cant recover it even under VSC? Statistically, I have never heard of any car hitting a stranded car in that circumstance ever...

[Wass85]

Just watched the last restart, boy Max is a clever racer. He ensured Albon was by his side before flooring it to stop him getting a tow.

Lewis should take note next time instead of letting folk get a run on him.

[Capharol]

Either way, a completely unnecessary safety car had a huge impact on the race dynamic and the race result. It also led directly to the need for the second safety car.

While it was a lot of fun action for a casual viewer and a way to put the sport across as action packed, you really have to question the motives behind sending the SC out in the first place. Was it really for safety, when VSC or double yellows would more than likely have sufficed given where Bottas diligently parked his car, or was it for entertainment value?

I do wonder if stewards and race director are told behind the scenes by the F1 top brass that creating drama, talking points and clicks on news stories is good for the sport and it's global profile...

you are finding it unneccessary and then question WHY they sending out the SC (which is already answered i believe)

but anyway again.... the first SC HAD to come out because the car of Bottas couldn't be moved manually and a crane was needed <---- THIS has the immediate effect that a SC is coming out, its anchored in the safety regulations (due to the Bianchi accident probably)

So it was all okay that the SC came out and not discussable at all

I have to disagree with you (and the regulations I suppose, if it's in there)- I think given where Bottas' car was parked that VSC would have been sufficient. Were it on the outside of the track or at a corner then absolutely full SC was the way to go. Either way, it happened anyway.

Certainly what another poster said about cars unlapping themselves is true. It was definitely not necessary to keep it out that long, and that certainly had the desired effect of manufacturing a grandstand finish...

here is the explanation of Masi

“Valtteri did a fantastic job where he stopped,” Masi is quoted by Autosport. “They were trying to push the car back into the gap, which is why we went double yellow, as we had the marshals there.

“It was off track, they were trying to push the car, but the car got stuck on the bump.

“So we actually had to deploy the crane to move it out. For me as soon as a crane is deployed, that’s it, straight Safety Car.”

Bottas’ Mercedes was removed very quickly, but Masi says the SC stayed out for six laps because everyone outside the top five needed to unlap themselves as per the regulations.

“Basically the top five cars were the only unlapped cars,” he confirmed.

“Probably the first part of it was actually getting the leader behind the safety car, which took a little bit longer purely because of car positioning, and then getting the list from timing of all the cars.

“So the first focus is obviously to clear the incident. And then the unlapping of cars is a secondary scenario.”

you can like it or dislike it, but it is what it is ......

[ENGINE TUNER]

I thought the VSC was created for just this kind of thing! Why not use it ?

This IS exactly why the VSC was implemented. The stewards were horrible in this race. They got the RIC/MAG incident wrong, MAG pushed RIC onto the kerb on corner entry which comprised RIC braking which made him understeer into MAG on the exit. The penalty should have been on MAG not RIC.

There was no need for a SC, a VSC was the proper call.

HAM was not at fault for the collision, ALB opened the door as wide as possible(with HAM already within 1s) and then dove to the apex to close it when HAM was already in the gap. The contact was fully ALB fault.

VET was fully at fault for colliding into LEC and should have been harshly penalized as a repeat offender(and should have been penalized for pushing HAM off track in Mexico). Is it any wonder why these drivers keep making the same bone head moves/mistakes when the stewards let them crash into others without any penalties.

The stewarding are usually very bad, but today they were more horrible than usual.

[Wass85]

I thought the VSC was created for just this kind of thing! Why not use it ?

This IS exactly why the VSC was implemented. The stewards were horrible in this race. They got the RIC/MAG incident wrong, MAG pushed RIC onto the kerb on corner entry which comprised RIC braking which made him understeer into MAG on the exit. The penalty should have been on MAG not RIC.

There was no need for a SC, a VSC was the proper call.

HAM was not at fault for the collision, ALB opened the door as wide as possible(with HAM already within 1s) and then dove to the apex to close it when HAM was already in the gap. The contact was fully ALB fault.

VET was fully at fault for colliding into LEC and should have been harshly penalized as a repeat offender(and should have been penalized for pushing HAM off track in Mexico). Is it any wonder why these drivers keep making the same bone head moves/mistakes when the stewards let them crash into others without any penalties.

The stewarding are usually very bad, but today they were more horrible than usual.

I'm sorry but Albon was not at fault, when I watched it live I did think that but after seeing the onboard footage from Lewis' car it's clear to see he was at fault.

[ENGINE TUNER]

I wonder if the rules ought to allow for a "safety lane" in such situations. Have a localised VSC zone with a "drivers must drive within 1m of the opposite track edge past the incident whilst using the pit lane limiter" type rule. State that the drivers must slow between the first and second yellow boards before the incident. Then they would just have to show the appropriate caution boards, the drivers slow accordingly and crawl past the recovery before getting back on it again. No one is doing more than 80km/h near the marshals and their crane, everyone is well separated from the marshals etc. This is the sort of thing they do at Le Mans and it works ok there.

"Slow zones" they call it and it is a much better system than the vsc, all that is required to make it fair is that everyone is forced to go through the "slow zone" the same number of times. It is much less disruptive to the race. Another thing F1 should implement is the ability for the race director to talk to all the drivers at once like in le mans. F1 is too resistant to adopt things from other series and too dependent on its own over complicated systems.

[izzy]

you can like it or dislike it, but it is what it is ......

everything is what it is! what is there left to discuss then? the meaning of life?

all they needed, just like Sochi and loads of other car stoppages, was a freaking rope . ideally, give all the cars a towing eye on the back. Clip one end of the rope to the car, in like 1s, the other to the crane safely behind the barrier, and reverse

it's really disappointing to read all the media saying what an amazing exciting race it was, when Max was the only genuine result all the others were "SC Racing". That just encourages these fake safety cars that Liberty seem to think spice up the show

[ENGINE TUNER]

Just watched the last restart, boy Max is a clever racer. He ensured Albon was by his side before flooring it to stop him getting a tow.

Lewis should take note next time instead of letting folk get a run on him.

I don't think Lewis realized that he could initiate the restart much closer to the start/finish than he did. What is the rule? Restart before the SC1 line? Where is that located in Interlagos?

Have to disagree, ALB was fully at fault for opening the door as wide as possible and then closing it when HAM was half way in. HAM did not run into the back of ALB, ALB ran into the side of HAM.

[Wass85]

I wonder if the rules ought to allow for a "safety lane" in such situations. Have a localised VSC zone with a "drivers must drive within 1m of the opposite track edge past the incident whilst using the pit lane limiter" type rule. State that the drivers must slow between the first and second yellow boards before the incident. Then they would just have to show the appropriate caution boards, the drivers slow accordingly and crawl past the recovery before getting back on it again. No one is doing more than 80km/h near the marshals and their crane, everyone is well separated from the marshals etc. This is the sort of thing they do at Le Mans and it works ok there.

Slow zones they call it and it is a much better system than the vsc, all that is required to make it fair is that everyone is force to go through the slow zone the same number of times. It is much less disruptI've to the race. Another thing F1 should implement is the ability for the race director to talk to all the drivers at once like in le mans. F1 is too resistant to adopt things from other series and too dependent on its own over complicated systems.

I've been saying this for years, it's stupid that there is no race director and driver feed.

All these stupid penalties where a driver is unsure on whether to hand a place back could be sorted there and then. That would ensure there's no "fcuk you" Vettel moments to the director.

[Wass85]

Just watched the last restart, boy Max is a clever racer. He ensured Albon was by his side before flooring it to stop him getting a tow.

Lewis should take note next time instead of letting folk get a run on him.

I don't think Lewis realized that he could initiate the restart much closer to the start/finish than he did. What is the rule restart before the SC line? Where is that located?

Have to disagree, ALB was fully at fault for opening the door as wide as possible and then closing it when HAM was half way in. Haas did not run into the back of ALB, ALB ran into the side of HAM.

That's on Lewis though tbh, he should know the full procedure by now. Max showed how to make the perfect restart around here. I really do think those long hours on race sims and such really help a driver more than they realise.