Virtual Safety Car, red flag… These rules that question sporting fairness in F1

Lando Norris came out of the Brazilian Grand Prix frustrated. In a fight with George Russell (Mercedes) for victory during the first half of the race, the Briton was trapped by a Virtual Safety Car regime and then a red flag. Blessed be the heavens, Esteban Ocon (Alpine), Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine) took advantage of this last neutralization to change tires and monopolize the three places on the podium at the finish, the Dutchman winning ahead of the two Frenchmen.

« I don't care what people say, said the Briton after the finish last Sunday. Not pitting was the wrong thing to do. A red flag shouldn't have happened, but the crash eventually brought one. That's life. Sometimes you take a gamble and it paid off for them. It's not talent, it's just luck, said the Englishman. We were unlucky, that's all. (…) You can change your tyres under the red flag, that's what the others did, so it's just unlucky. Sometimes things go your way. »

Monaco 2011 and 2024, other cases where the red flag caused debate

This has inevitably rekindled the debate on this authorisation to change tyres during a red flag. Which is far from being the first time. In 2011, during the Monaco Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), fitted with old tires, had to withstand the pressure of Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), but an accident involving Vitaly Petrov (Renault), Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) and Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso) had resulted in a red flag being brought out at the end of the race. With six laps still to go, Red Bull changed the tyres of its German driver, who ultimately won almost without a fight.

This year, the most princely of the world championship meetings Formula 1 was the scene of a new controversy concerning these tire changes under red flag. The race was interrupted on the first day by the spectacular accident involving the Red Bull of Sergio Pérez at the Haas de Nico Hulkenberg et Kevin Magnussen. A boon for Ferrari and Charles Leclerc, who started from pole position. The Monegasque was thus able to make the obligatory change of tires and lead the race to the end without worrying about the right time to make his stop. Transforming a Grand Prix, with a reputation for soporific in recent years, into a veritable parade without sporting interest in the streets of the Principality.

Six months later, this regulation is once again under the spotlight following the São Paulo race scenario. This rule varies according to the disciplines and circumstances. In IndyCar, any work on cars is prohibited during this type of interruption. At the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (WEC) this year, teams were allowed to change tires before the race resumed.

Hard to find a fair rule under red flag

In Brazil, Verstappen and the two drivers Alpine were able to take advantage of the situation to save the precious pit stop time. This stop is in no way a regulatory requirement in F1. The requirement is based on having to use two different tyres during a race. It is this nuance that allows some to finish a Grand Prix without going back to the pits after a red flag. This raises a question of fairness compared to those who have paid their dues to comply with the regulations.

It should be remembered that the primary reason for the red flag is for safety. It is often raised after accidents requiring intervention or when debris is scattered on the track. The authorization to change tires is more a question of returning the drivers to the track in the most optimal safety conditions, since they could have been damaged before the said neutralization. However, no matter how one turns the problem of a potential change of regulations, it is difficult to find a fair rule for everyone regarding the red flag, since in the event of a ban on changing tires, it is those who have already stopped who would be favored.

The problem can also be interpreted the other way around: the teams, knowing this specificity of the regulations, are perfectly entitled to anticipate a possible interruption of the race to take advantage of it. It is thus the merit of Ocon, Verstappen and Gasly to have stayed longer on track than the others in difficult weather conditions. A form of recklessness transformed into a winning bet. That is also what motorsport is all about.

The problem with the Virtual Safety Car

The issue of the Virtual Safety Car is another thorny issue in Formula 1 when it comes to sporting fairness. As with a Safety Car regime, drivers have the option of entering the pits to change tyres. Introduced in 2015 following Jules Bianchi's accident at the Grand Prix, the VSC is an alternative to the Safety Car.

By its nature, the Safety Car remains on the track for several laps, which allows all drivers still in the race to pit during this neutralisation if they wish. Less restrictive, the VSC can be triggered and interrupted at any time by race control. This sometimes leads to unfair situations, as was the case in Brazil. The virtual neutralisation regime was thus deployed after Nico Hülkenberg (Haas) went off the track, but only once the top six had passed the pit lane.

Drivers beyond this position logically took advantage of this situation to make their stop with minimal loss of time. Which is what leaders George Russell and Lando Norris tried to do when they returned to the pits. Unfortunately for them, the VSC was deactivated at the very moment they dove into the pits. They therefore made their stop under green flag while the other drivers resumed a normal race pace. Waiting for a potential race neutralization could be a strategy, but in the case of a VSC drivers and teams are not sure of having the right timing to make a stop during the time frame of the neutralization. In Brazil, the virtual interruption lasted less than a lap, which offered the possibility for some to make a stop almost for free, while others were not so lucky.

Two solutions could be put in place to overcome this and put everyone on an equal footing: either a formal ban on going through the pits (except for safety reasons) or an incompressible minimum duration of the VSC intervention time. In the World Championship ofEndurance, the latter thus lasts two laps and is always followed by a Safety Car afterwards. This would ensure better sporting fairness in F1.

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