Anthony Davidson has defended the decision to finish the British Grand Prix under safety car conditions, emphasizing that Formula 1 regulations must be followed regardless of the entertainment factor.
The closure of the race at Silverstone sparked mixed reactions from fans, after the drivers crossed the finish line under the safety car. This was deployed on lap 48 of the 52 when Max Verstappen got stuck in the gravel at the Stowe corner. As the laps dwindled, fans became excited with a message announcing that the safety car would leave the track.
However, the safety car remained until the end of the race. Subsequently, the FIA confirmed that the message had been an error and that there weren’t enough laps remaining to carry out the complete easing procedure.
In an appearance on the Sky Sports F1 Show, Davidson rejected the idea that the race should not have ended under the safety car. “I think that’s what upset everyone about Abu Dhabi 2021. People who knew the rules knew that this regulation hadn’t changed,” he stated.
In light of the controversy generated, Davidson highlighted that you can’t have it all: “You can’t say that Hamilton fans would have wanted the race to be restarted because he was on new tires and could have passed George Russell. Indeed, they were the same ones who wanted the rules to be applied to the letter in Abu Dhabi.”
Moreover, he added: “The rules are there for a good reason. What’s unfortunate is that we ran out of time. If there had been 10 laps left, the race could have resumed, without a doubt. For some people I’ve talked to, both situations, 2021 and Silverstone, should have been stopped.”
Finally, he said: “Personally, I have no problem with races ending under the safety car, especially at the end of the race, since you often already know how the situation is going to unfold. In many American races, we see finishes with rubber or safety car. It’s one of those things that happens. When there’s no time, the race ends that way and, while I prefer a finish under green flag, I don’t see too many downsides to it ending under safety car, as you often know the result in the final laps.”
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
