FIA clarifies reason for late Virtual Safety Car in F1 Mexican Grand Prix. The FIA explained why a late Virtual Safety Car was deployed in Mexico.

FIA: “Final VSC was necessary with marshals on track and a smoking car, the race ended under green flag conditions”

The FIA has provided its explanation regarding the decision to deploy a Virtual Safety Car in the closing stages of the Mexican Grand Prix, clarifying why the neutralization was essential and confirming that the race ultimately finished under green flag conditions.

The Mexican Grand Prix seemed set for a dramatic final lap, with Max Verstappen chasing Charles Leclerc for second place and Oscar Piastri putting pressure on Oliver Bearman in the fight for fourth — a battle that was also crucial for the Australian’s lead in the Drivers’ Championship. However, those tense moments never came as Race Control imposed a Virtual Safety Car to ensure the safety of the marshals dealing with Carlos Sainz’s stranded Williams in the third sector, just after the stadium section exit.

The FIA explained that the decision was made in full accordance with safety protocols, emphasizing the need for quick intervention due to the smoking condition of Sainz’s car. The statement also touched on an earlier, unrelated incident involving marshals entering the track during lap three, an occurrence still under investigation.

“Following an incident at Turn 1, Race Control was informed of debris on the racing line. On lap three, marshals were placed on standby to enter the track and remove the debris once all cars had passed Turn 1. Once it became clear that Liam Lawson had entered the pit lane, the instruction to deploy the marshals was withdrawn, and double yellow flags were shown in that sector. We are still investigating what happened afterward,” the FIA clarified in its official note.

The Federation then detailed what happened later in the race: “On lap 70, Sainz spun and came to a stop in the run-off area on the outside of Turn 14. His car stopped in a dangerous position and was exposed. The vehicle then began to smoke, and Race Control received reports of fire, making it clear that marshal intervention would be necessary. As per standard procedure, whenever marshals are deployed to recover a car, the race is neutralized. In this case, a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was activated until the car was moved to a safe position behind the barriers. The VSC ended once the car was in a protected area, and the race concluded under green flag conditions.”