Anthony Davidson has defended the decision to end the British Grand Prix under safety car conditions, emphasizing the importance of following Formula 1 regulations regardless of the impact it may have on viewer entertainment.
The conclusion of the race at Silverstone generated mixed reactions among fans as drivers crossed the finish line under the safety car. The safety vehicle entered the track around lap 48 of 52, after Max Verstappen got stuck in the gravel at Stowe corner. As the laps progressed, fans fed their hope with a message announcing that the safety car would be coming in.
However, this message turned out to be incorrect, as the safety car remained on track until the end of the race. Subsequently, the FIA acknowledged that the notification had been shown by mistake and that there were not enough laps remaining to carry out the complete procedure for releasing drivers.
In a Sky Sports F1 program, Davidson rejected the idea that the race should not have finished under the safety car. “The reaction from fans was understandable, but those who knew the rules knew that the regulations hadn’t changed since that incident in Abu Dhabi in 2021,” Davidson stated, recalling how fans of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes previously advocated for strict enforcement of regulations.
“You can’t have the best of both worlds. You can’t be asking for the rules to be applied and then say that the race should continue under different circumstances. The rules exist for a reason,” he added. Davidson expressed his view that races finishing under safety car aren’t necessarily a problem, although he would prefer them to conclude under active racing conditions.
“It’s an unfortunate situation where time ran out, and the race finished that way. If there had been more laps, the situation would have been different,” he concluded.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
