Italian GP revives Abu Dhabi safety car debate

Formula One’s safety-car rules will be discussed by teams and the governing body after the final anti-climactic laps of Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix revived memories of last year’s controversial Abu Dhabi title-decider.

World champion Max Verstappen won then and now, but the irony at Monza was that his Red Bull team were the ones sounding off about how the race ended while previously aggrieved Mercedes defended officials.

This time, unlike December’s race in Abu Dhabi, the FIA followed the rules and the fans still piled in with booing and jeers from Ferrari’s home crowd.

Mercedes’ seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton felt a flashback.

The Briton, no longer a championship contender this year, missed out on a record eighth title in Abu Dhabi when now-departed race director Michael Masi tweaked the safety car rules to ensure a racing finish.

“It always brings memories back. That is the rule that it should be, right?” Hamilton said on Sunday after the safety car remained on track over the final laps as marshals tried to remove Daniel Ricciardo’s stricken McLaren.

“(It’s) only one time in the history of the sport that they haven’t done the rule.”

via Reuters