“The fans were the biggest losers”

Red Bulls team boss Christian Horner called for a rule adjustment after the safety car crossing the finish line in Monza. The Italian Grand Prix was practically neutralized on the final laps on Sunday and there could be no more attacks.

The reason was a safety car phase because Daniel Ricciardo's parked McLaren could not be removed from the danger area quickly enough because it was in gear. “The biggest losers” were the fans. “We have to tackle this quickly,” emphasized the team boss of Italian winner Max Verstappen. Reaching the finish line with the safety car The 24-year-old Dutchman was already clearly heading towards victory when his lead in the race over Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc was lost by the safety car. Both had the fastest tires fitted again. Even with a restart, the dominant Dutchman would probably have defended his lead anyway. “I wouldn’t have been worried,” he said.

Max Verstappen crossed the finish line first. © APA/afp / CIRO DE LUCA

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff emphasized that German race director Niels Wittich, unlike his predecessor, only stuck to the rules at the highly controversial season finale last year. In Abu Dhabi, the then race director Michael Masi's decisions ensured that, after a safety car phase, there was the all-important showdown for the World Championship on the last lap and that Verstappen was still able to overtake record champion Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes. The procedure for safety car phases was then revised.

After the race in Monza, the World Automobile Association confirmed that safety was the top priority during a rescue and that it did not matter which phase of the race it was. Eight years ago, during a rescue operation of a racing car that had run off the track, the young French Ferrari driver Jules Bianchi crashed his then Marussia racing car under a recovery crane. He died of his most serious injuries in the summer of the following year (2015).

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“The fans were the biggest losers”

The Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monza caused heated discussions afterwards.

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