The start of the Dutch Grand Prix of Formula 1 in Zandvoort was marked by confusion when rain made its presence felt during the starting procedure. Several drivers have expressed their discontent with the decision to conduct a formation lap behind the safety car, which, in their opinion, affected the ability to adequately heat the tires before the start.
Max Verstappen suffered a severe crash on the first lap, a mistake he attributed to a miscalculation when accelerating again in a section of the track that was still too wet. Behind him, Gabriel Bortoleto narrowly avoided an impact, although he found himself in a similar situation, with the Audi about to collide.
The drivers argued that the track conditions had improved overall before the start, and that a normal start or another type of warm-up lap without the safety car would have been more effective. Pierre Gasly insisted that the formation lap did not provide the necessary temperature to the tires and that a normal lap would have been preferable. He proposed two more conventional options: either a rolling start behind the safety car or a standard start with a formation lap.
Red Bull driver Liam Lawson agreed with Gasly, emphasizing that the clear conditions up to a point on the track made having a formation lap with the safety car surreal. The drivers feared that such a situation would create problems, something that could have been avoided with a different approach.
On the other hand, the FIA explained that the decision was made to ensure safety, based on the information it received initially. A medical car reported that there was standing water in some corners, which led to considering that the formation lap with the safety car was the best option to avoid greater risks in the final moments before the race.
Carlos Sainz summarized the situation by stating that, despite the circumstances, a rolling start would not have changed the final outcome either. This is due to the distribution of water on the track, which caused the conditions to be complicated just at the decisive moment.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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