Overview
- A virtual safety car (VSC) period at the Madring left Lando Norris unable to pit when leaders benefitted, handing Andrea Kimi Antonelli the race win with Max Verstappen second and Norris third.
- Former driver and commentator Martin Brundle proposed that a VSC should stay in place for at least one full lap so every car has the same chance to pit, calling the Madrid outcome unfair.
- A RacingNews365 poll showed readers almost evenly split over banning normal pit stops during VSC and full Safety Car periods, with roughly half supporting the current rules and half favouring restrictions.
- Under current FIA Sporting Regulations teams may pit during VSC and Safety Car periods unless race control explicitly closes pit entry, and opponents of closures argue immediate pit access can be needed for safety.
- Any rule change would require committee review and a formal amendment to the Sporting Regulations, so debate is likely to continue and track or procedural tweaks are more likely short term than an immediate rule rewrite.