08/06/2021
NEWS STORY
A number of drivers have expressed concern at the delay in deploying the safety car following Max Verstappen's crash on Sunday.
Once the Red Bull came to a halt after suffering a blow-out on the main straight which sent it crashing into the barriers, it was over a minute before race control deployed the safety car, opting to halt the race completely three laps later.
A number of drivers have expressed concern at the delay.
"That’s a joke, that’s a joke," shouted Charles Leclerc over the radio in the moments after the crash. "Put the f****** safety car out straight away, why are they waiting?"
Speaking after the race, the Ferrari driver said: "For me it was clear that I would stop pushing with a crash like this. It’s in the middle of the straight so it was quite dangerous.
"It took longer than what I expected," he continued. "That’s it. But I think all the drivers have been surprised the same way."
The youngster said he intends raising the issue at the drivers' briefing at Paul Ricard next week.
"The safety car thing I will definitely bring up," he said, "just to understand why it took a bit longer than normally. That will be a point I raise."
"Normally when there is such a big accident, first there is a double yellow, and then straightaway seconds after there is a safety car," added Ferrari teammate, Carlos Sainz.
"Today, it took, I think it was thirty seconds, one minute, for the safety car to be deployed, and we had to go through a very heavy accident in only yellow flag conditions."
"I was wondering a little bit why it took so long when Max had the shunt, for the safety car to come out," said Sebastian Vettel, a director of the GRand Prix Drivers' Association.
"It was quite clear that he was standing in the middle of the track and it took a little bit long but we will see. We will find out why."