Juuso Taipale
The F1 series must give up being overly cautious, writes Iltalehti’s F1 editor Juuso Taipale.
There are other means than VSC to guarantee the safety of track officials. PDO
The virtual safety car is the dumbest F1 rule ever. The kit needs to throw it in the scrap bin immediately.
Mexico saw perhaps the most embarrassing bar crawl of the sport.
Carlos Sainz spun in the closing moments of the race. The Spaniard rolled his car to a safe place, partially even off the track. The car was in a place where another car, an F1 car, could not possibly hit.
What does the jury do? Forces the drivers to drive around by assigning a virtual safety car, or VSC.
It ruined Max Verstappen’s chance to fight for second place.
It spoiled the climax of the race for the fans.
The F1 gladiators of the piston years can put the sport to shame. The formula drivers are fired up.
It is high time to give up the virtual safety car. It no longer works as intended.
It was invented back in the day, when drivers wanted to be restrained in accident situations. The reason was Jules Bianchi, who died after not obeying the double yellow flags that indicate special danger.
Let’s forget that VSC was completely unnecessary in Mexico, a cotton-soft demonstration of the safety thinking of current formulas that went too far.
Sainz’s situation could have been handled with yellow flags. It would have forced drivers to drive carefully only at the scene of the accident. So Verstappen could have looked for a pass somewhere else.
That’s how it should work. The virtual safety car kills the race completely for nothing.
Of course, defenders appear again for VSC. The railway officials were in danger. Solution to the problem: Yellow flags only for that corner, not for the entire track. A severe punishment for the driver, who nevertheless roasts in that section carelessly.
Several situations requiring track officials to enter the track can be handled without VSC. It is used because F1 is overcautious.
In another type of race, the virtual safety car is justified by the fact that it does not give some drivers an unfair advantage when everyone has to slow down.
Nonsense, because it is possible even in the current system.
Furthermore, F1 is a racing sport. Not everything is always nice and fair.
It’s time for VSC to go. PDO