Nico Rosberg, Formula 1 world champion in 2016, has suggested a review of the rules governing pit entries during virtual safety car periods. This proposal arises as a consequence of the recent Spanish Grand Prix, where Lando Norris, a McLaren driver, lost a likely victory due to poor timing when entering the pit.
During the race, Norris, who had secured pole position and maintained a good lead over Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, was hindered when a virtual safety car was deployed to remove Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin. Unfortunately, Norris had already passed the pit entrance and lost the opportunity to make a quicker stop, while his rivals were able to take advantage of the situation.
As a result of this circumstance, Norris not only lost first place but ultimately finished third, behind Antonelli, who won the race, and Max Verstappen of Red Bull.
In an appearance on Sky Sports, Rosberg remarked that it is necessary to review current rules to avoid similar situations in the future. “It’s not just bad luck,” he stated. “I admit it’s frustrating to see a driver lose victory because of an unforeseen VSC, and I think we need to look for fairer solutions for all drivers.”
Rosberg suggested that one possibility would be to close the pit during virtual safety car periods or to drastically reduce the permitted speed within the pit. This would prevent drivers from gaining undue advantages when making stops at such a moment, where the lost time is less than under normal conditions.
Moreover, Rosberg pointed out that the main goal of the regulations should be to ensure competitiveness and fairness among all participants. “The ideal would be to create a system where the time lost during a pit stop during a VSC is equivalent to what is lost in a normal race moment,” he concluded.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
