Martin Brundle provides FIA with three clear solutions after fans miss epic British GP finale
Martin Brundle has presented three potential options to the FIA which would avoid a repeat of the controversial ending to Sunday's British Grand Prix - including an IndyCar-style proposal.
Max Verstappen's race-ending spin into the gravel at Stowe brought out the safety car at Silverstone with just five laps remaining.
Race leader Charles Leclerc and second-placed Lewis Hamilton, as well as Lando Norris in fourth, all pitted for fresh tyres in anticipation of a restart.
The one frontrunner who didn't was George Russell, who benefitted significantly when it was decided to re-deploy the safety car on the final lap instead of what would have been a one-lap shootout.
Advert
Russell had leapfrogged Hamilton into second place, meaning he split the two Ferraris when race winner Leclerc took the chequered flag in front of a bemused Silverstone crowd.
There was confusion caused by the fact that the FIA had displayed a message stating that the safety car would come in to the pits at the end of lap 51 of 52, but the sport's governing body later said that the message was displayed 'erroneously' due to a software error.
They stated that, as per safety car regulations, one lap must be completed following the unlapping procedure, where lapped cars are allowed to pass the leaders and unlap themselves. That procedure took place at the beginning of lap 51.
READ MORE: FIA release statement explaining why safety car remained out at the end of British GP
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff likened the situation to the ending to the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where the incorrect protocol was followed by race director Michael Masi in allowing the race to restart prior to the unlapping procedure being completed.
That led to, infamously, a one-lap shootout for the championship between leader Hamilton and second-placed Verstappen, where a fresh-tired Verstappen was able to comfortably overtake Hamilton - on much older tyres - to win the title.
Brundle offers solutions to British GP saga
While there was no doubt this time that the correct procedure was followed, it did rob fans of the opportunity to see drivers battle it out over one lap.
And while the outcome suited Leclerc - who was over 25 seconds clear in the lead before the safety car was deployed - and Russell, it meant that Hamilton missed out on a higher place on the podium.
Writing in his latest column for Sky Sports, co-commentator Brundle has suggested three potential fixes that the FIA should consider moving forward - including a strategy adopted by IndyCar.
With under 10 laps to go in any IndyCar race, any lapped cars are ordered to drive through the pit lane, thus emerging at the back of the field in time for a restart.
That would, of course, be a detriment to lapped cars in F1 compared to the current system where, providing there is enough time to do so, they can catch back up to the pack and potentially bring themselves back into contention.
It can be argued, though, that those cars have effectively driven themselves into that disadvantage by being lapped, and, in IndyCar, the lead lapped car is allowed to rejoin the back of the field.
"There are potential fixes," Brundle added. "We could simply have the lapped runners simply drop behind the pack. Or throw a red flag and have a standing restart in race order, although this takes a while.
"Instead, we prioritise runners who haven't been good enough, for whatever reason, on the day, instead of the leaders and most importantly the fans."
"I believe this was inaugurated to ensure backmarkers didn't get involved and affect the result at the front of the race, and as a perceived benefit from time-to-time drivers were brought back into full contention later in the race," the Sky F1 co-commentator said of the origins of the lapped cars regulation.
"But the system is guaranteed to unduly prolong the safety car period, especially on long circuits like Silverstone and Spa.
"I used to have robust conversations with the very sadly departed Charlie Whiting about this, because it makes no sense, especially as the rules state that the safety car will recover to the pits on the lap following allowing lapped runners through."
Ryan Smart