“Well, he’s going to win”: Why Norris gained so much time behind the Safety Car

14 comments on ““Well, he’s going to win”: Why Norris gained so much time behind the Safety Car”

1. 

   Kris
   7th May 2024, 17:35

   The commentary on sky seemed very confused with the process. “They’ve picked up the wrong car” they kept saying. It seems they’ve ignored the fact the car comes out when needed and then lets people past via the green light.

   The only thing that happened this time was it happened to come out in a gap between 1st and 2nd. It’s just luck.

   For VSC I would prefer they left it on for a fixed time – eg a lap time equivalent to everyone gets an equal benefit.
   1. 

      Tristan
      7th May 2024, 22:59

      The only thing that happened this time was it happened to come out in a gap between 1st and 2nd. It’s just luck.

      Or you know, they should have let the others by sooner. Wouldn’t have been an issue then either as they would have all been lapping at the same delta. That was the issue, not where the safety car came out at.
   2. 

      Ajaxn
      8th May 2024, 22:36

      Good fortune shouldn’t have been a factor.

      I don’t understand with the cars driving to the safety delta, why the safety care couldn’t have overtaken Norris, and then have the other cars gather behind them.

      Norris == Jammy dodger.
2. 

   Coventry Climax
   7th May 2024, 18:55

   That’s not a ‘failed to pick him up’, it’s a ‘managed to deliberately manipulate the race outcome’.

   And it’s what show is all about.
   1. 

      Esploratore (@esploratore1)
      7th May 2024, 18:58

      They failed the purpose in this case: norris happened to be quick enough to possibly win even without the SC mistake, so by disadvantaging verstappen they made it so that norris’ win was ensured, no fighting.

      That’s a negative for the show.
      1. 

         Jere (@jerejj)
         7th May 2024, 20:05

         @esploratore1 Spot-on. People seem to think he won (directly) because of SC picking up the wrong driver, even though in reality, he would’ve in all likelihood won even without this unusual error, given he already had more than 9 seconds (Miami’s average pit time loss to drivers on track under neutralization) to Max, meaning he would’ve still rejoined in P1 or at least P2, no lower than that in any case, with the same tyre advantage either way, so this factor combined with Max’s floor damage, would’ve ensured an eventual on-track overtake for the victory & thus the same outcome anyway.
         1. 

            An Sionnach
            8th May 2024, 17:32

            Given how Ricciardo successfully held on to fourth position against a superior car, I suspect Max would have held onto first place as long as he didn’t lose it in the pit stops.
            1. 

               An Sionnach
               8th May 2024, 22:37

               On safety cars, Max has certainly benefited from them to the tune of more than just a race win, and Lewis has often made off like a bandit from them. I don’t like how they reset the field and would prefer a mixture of yellow flags, virtual safety cars and red flags. Not freaking out over the slightest thing (so reducing the safety focus) would help, too. As it is, they’re part of the strategy. It’s a waste to push too much when you’re ahead in case you end up on worn tyres behind the safety car.
   2. 

      Jere (@jerejj)
      7th May 2024, 20:06

      Coventry Climax Of course, only an error rather than a deliberate attempt to influence the race outcome.
      Otherwise, the same would’ve been done when Lewis & Mercedes were winning regularly, or Schumi, etc.
   3. 

      Kerry Maxwell (@kerrymaxwell)
      10th May 2024, 15:14

      Not surprising that we get Stop the Steal conspiracy theories at a race where the former conspiracy monger in chief was holding court amongst the billionaires.
3. 

   Sham (@sham)
   7th May 2024, 20:30

   The safety car has failed to pick up the leader many, many times in the past and yet the commentators simply couldn’t get their heads around it.
   The safety car was called and Lando passed it as it made its way out of the pits, thats fortunate for him, but if the safety car was called early enough for it to pick up Lando, he’d have been able to pit instead of miss the pit entry and would have been the head of the queue anyway. The fact that the safety car exited the pits behind him changed nothing.
   1. 

      Red Andy (@red-andy)
      8th May 2024, 7:11

      Indeed. The only way it could possibly have disadvantaged Norris is if the safety car had come out after he had passed the pit entry, but before he had passed the pit exit. This does happen occasionally (e.g. it was a factor at Abu Dhabi 2021, that meant Hamilton couldn’t take a free pit stop as Verstappen did), but not very often. Normally not pitting until a safety car is deployed is a huge advantage, as it was for Norris.
4. 

   Who is this little man
   8th May 2024, 5:16

   Why is everybody acting like it is obscure and rigged for the safety car to not pick up the leader? The first time the safety car was ever used it picked up Howden Ganley, who also wasn’t the leader. I’ve seen the safety car pick up the wrong car plenty of times especially during wet races and then the whole pack is let through to pick up the leader. It’s almost like none of you have even watched F1 before…
   1. 

      Burmapapa
      8th May 2024, 6:45

      Many casual British viewers watched the Sky Sports broadcast where the commentating duo was bewildered about the procedure.

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