The FIA is looking into the potential safety car unlapping lapse during the F1 Emilia Romagna GP which put marshals in danger.
Hours after the end of the F1 Emilia Romagna GP at Imola, a Reddit user spotted a potential lapse during the unlapping procedure which may have put the FIA F1 marshals into a dangerous position as per Sebastian Vettel and Romain Grosjean.
Upon watching the videos on F1 TV, it did look a bit dangerous, especially for the cars going at their normal speed rather than slowing down. The safety car was for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen crash but was extended when Williams’ George Russell binned it as well.
The incident happened at Russell’s site where drivers were allowed to unlap by the FIA. First to the scene was Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen, who slowed on his own, spotting the double waved yellow in the corner, with marshals still clearing the debris.
Seeing Raikkonen, teammate Antonio Giovinazzi slowed too. Next up was Haas’ Romain Grosjean, who slowed as well after he was told about the double waved yellow. The Frenchman radioed about potential danger like Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel.
Vettel took the corner at normal speed but was surprised to see marshals. It was same for Racing Point’s Lance Stroll, whose onboard was the most dramatic, as the marshal seemed pretty close to his car when he passed the debris clearance point.
The FIA Race Director Michael Masi held his post-race media brief but this incident only came to light after his chat. However, MotorsportWeek.com, Racefans.net and others connected with the governing body, who noted that they are looking into the incident.
“The safety of the marshals and trackside officials is of the highest priority for the FIA,” read a statement provided,” the FIA statement was quoted as. “Race control was made aware of the issue and is evaluating whether any changes can be made to the procedures currently in place to further protect the marshals and officials and minimise the likelihood of a reoccurrence in the future.”
Here’s the story with radio chat from drivers