Abu Dhabi's regulation violations led to the Italian GP's cancellation.
The contentious safety car finale reopened many Formula One fans' feelings at the Italian Grand Prix.
After last year's F1 season finale, the FIA carefully followed the procedures outlined in the regulation book, resulting in the race at Monza being completed behind the safety car.
y.Laws were followed to the letter, but the governing body will evaluate the scenario to see if it might have done better to allow a one-lap shootout restart on Sunday.
Current game regulations
Formula One's safety car restrictions are detailed in Article 55 of the sport's governing document. Details about when and how the safety car will be deployed, as well as the protocols that all drivers and riders must adhere to, are outlined in this section.
There was a lot of post-race discussion regarding how the safety car picked up the wrong vehicle, following third-placed George Russell instead of race leader Max Verstappen. It's interesting to note that the safety car isn't required by law to leave the pits and pick up the leader.
Instead, Article 55.6 says that "the safety car will join the course with its orange lights activated regardless of where the leader is." Since Russell had taken advantage of the safety car's debut on lap 48 to pit, there was nothing wrong with it first passing him.
After that time, any car running ahead of the leader is free to pass it as the safety car's top lights will have been switched from orange to green. As a result, the front vehicle is pushed ahead to become the new group leader, while the remaining cars fall into line.
At Monza, this crucial step was slowed down because of difficulties marshals encountered while attempting to retrieve Ricciardo's vehicle. The McLaren was stuck in gear, and the marshals couldn't move it to the next available opening. Time. Only a crane across the track could do it.
This could only be done safely by delaying the train to allow the extra crane time.
Because of the holdup, Russell asked whether he might pass the safety car, but the orange lights were still on. Even by the conclusion of lap 50, the safety car was still holding Russell; by then, not even Verstappen had joined the line.
On lap 51, when the line of vehicles reached the Ascari Chicane, the caution lights turned green, allowing Russell and the cars between him and Verstappen to pass. However, that was simply the first step in a series of procedures necessary for a fresh start.
After the front group has lined up behind the safety car, the clerk of the course can decide whether or not to allow lapped vehicles to pass. In Abu Dhabi, the decision to exclude several lapped vehicles sparked debate since it gave third-placed driver Max Verstappen an advantage over the field.
Since then, regulations have been revised to require that all lapped vehicles pass, an adjustment the FIA justified on the day by pointing out that the rules had previously indicated that it is only related to "any" and not "all" lapped cars.
By the time race leader, Verstappen got to the front of the line at the exit of Ascari on lap 51, the crucial rule that had been broken to facilitate the restart in Abu Dhabi had virtually run out of time. Once the lapped cars can overtake, the message appears; the regulations state explicitly that at least one more lap must elapse before the race can be restarted.
Article 55.13 states that the safety car will return to the pits at the end of the next lap after all drivers get the notice "LAPED CARS MAY NOW OVERTAKE." The course clerk had less than a minute to decide if lapped vehicles may proceed.
It was decided to hold off for now. The release was not permitted on lap 52 due to the 'following lap' demand because there would be no opportunity for a restart before the end of lap 53 (the checkered flag).
The FIA in Abu Dhabi restarted when lapped cars rejoined before the finish of the lap. That was explained by the fact that the regulations left it up to the discretion of the F1 race director to decide which rules would be enforced. This stems from Article 15.3, which grants the race director "overriding authority" in various situations involving the safety car.
Angry fans
By the time Verstappen had made his way to the front of the pack, and the FIA had followed the rules to the letter in Monza, it was too late to restart the race. Frustration was compounded by the requirement of a "following lap," which added two laps behind the safety car before the checkered flag was waved.
Fan booing began at that point, with Ferrari making it plain that they were upset with the FIA and not with Verstappen.
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto believes that the boos from the crowd were directed more at the FIA than at his team. Booing the first car and the winner was an attempt to boo the FIA, the race's organizers. People and Tifosi believe the safety car could have been destroyed earlier, which is why.
Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time champion, couldn't help but compare what transpired on Sunday to the dramatic turn the Formula One championship battle took on the penultimate lap of last year's season in Abu Dhabi.
For me, it always brings back good times. He told Sky, "That's how the rules are supposed to be read, and the only time they haven't done the rules like that today is the time they changed the result of the championship. But that's the way it is."
