The end of the British Grand Prix in Formula 1 sparked criticism and reignited the debate about how to avoid races finishing behind the Safety Car. The Silverstone confusion began after a mistaken message suggested the restart would take place on the final lap.
Fans at the circuit and those watching from home expected one last lap of contention, but the Safety Car remained on track. The decision drew record boos from the Silverstone crowd, especially after Max Verstappen retired with four laps to go, in an accident not caused by the driver.
Jenson Button argued that F1 should assess solutions used in United States categories, such as IndyCar and NASCAR, which can extend a race in yellow-flag endings. “It would be good. It is very difficult because of fuel loads and other factors, but other forms of motorsport, especially in the United States, extend by one or two laps,” he said.
The 2009 champion conceded, however, that implementation in F1 would not be simple. “They are very tight on fuel loads, but it would be nice to see a grand finish,” he added.
Martin Brundle presented another view and pointed to alternatives to prioritize the leaders and the fans. “In IndyCar, for example, if it’s within the last ten laps, instead of releasing the lap-timers, the cars one lap down are diverted to the pit lane and rejoin at the back of the pack. Or we could simply push the lap-down cars behind the rest of the field,” he wrote.
Brundle also mentioned the possibility of a red flag and a paused restart, but reminded that the process takes time. For him, the current rule ends up favoring those who did not have pace that day rather than the leaders and the spectacle. “Abu Dhabi 2021, anyone?” he asked.
