F1 British GP: FIA explains Safety Car software error that caused late-race confusion. FIA clarifies Safety Car software error after chaotic British GP finish.

The British Grand Prix ended behind the Safety Car, but the biggest talking point after the checkered flag was the confusion surrounding Race Control’s handling of the final laps. The FIA had initially informed teams that the Safety Car would return to the pits at the end of lap 51, only for it to remain on track until the final lap and the finish of the race. What appeared to be a controversial decision was, in reality, the result of a communication error by the governing body itself.

In a statement released after the race, the FIA confirmed that the message originally indicating that the Safety Car would return to the pits at the end of lap 51 had been displayed in error due to a software issue. The incorrect notification was later replaced with a new message clarifying that the Safety Car would remain on track.

Why the Safety Car could not return at the end of lap 51

So what exactly happened, and why was it impossible for the Safety Car to come into the pits at the end of lap 51? After Max Verstappen‘s Red Bull had been recovered from the gravel trap at Stowe, where it had become stranded following a rear wing failure, Race Control followed the standard procedure by authorizing the lapped cars to overtake the Safety Car and unlap themselves.

Lapped drivers must wait until Race Control officially confirms that they are permitted to pass the Safety Car and regain the lap they had previously lost during the race. That notification was issued shortly after the start of lap 51, with some drivers beginning the unlapping procedure while the Safety Car, followed by the leading pack, was making its way through Turn 1.

According to the Formula 1 Sporting Regulations, once the unlapping procedure has begun, the Safety Car cannot return to the pits at the end of that same lap—in this case, lap 51. Instead, it may only come in at the end of the following lap, lap 52, which also happened to be the final lap of the race. That is why the original message announcing that the Safety Car would come in at the end of lap 51 turned out to be incorrect.

“The Safety Car period regulations, Article B5.13.5, require that an additional lap be completed following the unlapping procedure. This process was followed by Race Operations. The ‘Safety Car In This Lap’ message was displayed in error due to a software issue,” the FIA said in its post-race statement explaining why the incorrect message had been sent.

In short, the regulations were applied exactly as written, meaning the race correctly finished under Safety Car conditions, with Charles Leclerc taking the checkered flag while the neutralization remained in effect. The situation inevitably brought back memories of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, when Race Control called in the Safety Car on the same lap that selected lapped cars had been allowed to unlap themselves by using a separate provision that allowed the Race Director to override the standard procedure.

Carlos Sainz also comes under investigation

There was, however, another curious detail. When Race Control officially confirmed which drivers were allowed to unlap themselves, Carlos Sainz’s car number was missing from the list. Despite this, the Spaniard still unlapped himself along with the other drivers, a situation that has now led to him being placed under investigation by the race stewards.