Scuderia Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have confirmed that the late safety car period and how drivers’ antics during the situation played out at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be brought up at the next drivers’ meeting with the FIA.
The safety car and, subsequently, red flags were deployed after Max Verstappen’s late high-speed tyre failure on the main straight with the mass of debris strewn across the start-finish straight.
Charles Leclerc, in particular, was critical over team radio as to the length in time it took for the safety car to be deployed and said “I was just surprised that there was not a safety car earlier which is why I raised my concerns on the radio because for me it was clear that I would stop pushing with a crash like this.
“It was in the middle of the straight so it was quite dangerous. It just took longer than what I expected [to deploy the safety car] but I think all the drivers have been surprised in the same way.”
Carlos Sainz added that he would bring up the events at the next drivers’ briefing “just to investigate why, normally when there is such a big accident the safety car… first there is a double yellow and then straightaway, seconds after, there is a safety car.
“Why today, it took more than thirty seconds, one minute to get a safety car and we had to go through a very heavy accident in only yellow flag conditions.”
One of the big talking points during the red flag period was the discussion between McLaren and FIA race director Michael Masi over Yuki Tsunoda’s discipline under yellow flags.
Masi responded by saying that in his eyes, all drivers should be penalised for transgressing but Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz distanced themselves from any blame.
“The only thing I can say is that I have probably lost over a second to the person in front and the person behind and I nearly got overtaken by Yuki actually. I slowed down,” Charles Leclerc explained.
Carlos Sainz pointed a finger at McLaren’s own driver, saying: “I nearly got overtaken by Ricciardo also so I think both Charles and I slowed down, we must have been the ones to slow down the most and yeah, basically a virtual safety car or safety car there would have helped more I think.” – he added.
Charles Leclerc suggested the situation was is heightened on a track like Baku due to the narrow proximity of the walls.
“I think the only difference to a normal track is that on a street circuit when you have a double yellow flag, you should be able to stop at any time. There, everyone could see the crash and everyone knew the car was on the right of the barrier but I believe everyone should significantly slow down in those conditions. I think it will be raised anyway, as Carlos mentioned, a virtual safety car or safety car would have just made things a lot simpler but we will talk about that with everyone.” – he concluded.
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