discuss the British Grand Prix ending behind a safety car with the
FIA, on Thursday evening ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix. Gasly
sarcastically clapped inside his cockpit as he crossed the finish
line at Silverstone, visibly frustrated after the British GP ended
behind the safety car in controversial fashion. The Alpine driver,
who finished 10th, was among several drivers left exasperated by
the anticlimactic conclusion to the race, after a late crash for
Max Verstappen triggered a safety car period that consumed the
remaining laps. The FIA explained post-race that a “Safety Car In
This Lap” message had been displayed erroneously due to a software
error, briefly raising hopes of a restart before being corrected.
Under Article B5.13.5 of the safety car regulations, one full lap
must be completed following the un-lapping procedure, and because
that lap coincided with the final lap of the scheduled 52-lap
distance, there was no legal opportunity to resume racing before
the chequered flag. Charles Leclerc took victory for Ferrari ahead
of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, but the manner of the finish
drew boos from fans in the grandstands and sharp criticism from
within the paddock. Asked if he could have handled the situation
better, Gasly told select media, including RacingNews365 : “I’m a
racer, and I obviously think, as much as possible, it’s never great
for anyone, on or off the track, to finish a race behind a safety
car. “So I think I was, yeah, a little frustrated with the
situation. I didn’t have all the information at the time.
Afterwards, I understood why things happened the way they did.
“But I think we all agree that, in future, ideally we don’t have a
situation where a race basically ends behind the safety car in that
fashion. I don’t think it looks great for us or for you guys [the
media].” Drivers set for FIA talks Gasly confirmed that the matter
will be raised directly with race officials at the next drivers’
meeting, with the 30-year-old keen to find a practical solution
that prevents a repeat. This will take place at the end of media
day, today, ahead of this weekend’s race at Spa-Francorchamps, with
Gasly believing the drivers and the FIA will want to find a
solution to avoid future races ending in the same manner as
Silverstone. Discussing whether he has any ideas to propose to
avoid a safety car finish in the future, Gasly explained: “I think,
yeah, I’m sure we’re going to discuss it with the drivers at the
drivers’ meeting tonight, trying to find a way to make these
decisions more quickly, or just allowing the race director a more
efficient way to restart the race, just to avoid this situation.
“I’m sure they’re not happy with it, and I think, on my side as a
racer, if you ask me, ‘Do you want to race for one more lap and get
a chance to make up a few more positions?’, I’ll always be happy to
do it. That’s the way I see racing.”
Créditos da imagem: Silverstone SC