[Mads]

I think it extends the safety car period way too much for the benefit it might give once in a while. I don’t see that its worth it.
I will rather see more racing with the annoyance of lapped cars splitting the front runners once in a while, but the lapped cars are usually out of the way half way down the main straight anyway.

[Metallion]

I really really dislike the rule. I think it’s completely unfair to the front runners who have gone through the trouble of lapping the slower drivers.
For example, if Button had lapped a driver and that driver was between Button and Vettel during the safety car period, I think it’s unfair that Vettel gets that driver out of his way “for free” while Button had to overtake him under blue flags. They should both have to do the same work. Additionally, overtaking under blue flags isn’t always risk free, another thing that Vettel wouldn’t have to deal with in this situation.

Having a lapped car between yourself and the driver behind you is an advantage you’ve earned on the track. It can be extremely frustrating for the fans of the other driver, but it works both ways. Sometimes to a driver’s advantage, sometimes to his disadvantage.

[moshbeard]

I think being able to pit during a safety car is much more unfair.

[GRILA]

I strongly agree with moshbeard. Today, Lewis Hamilton was robbed of second place through no fault of his own. He had fought hard to maintain second place and done a good pit-stop and then because of the SC rules, Vettel steals it from him! I think the pit lane should be temporarily closed immediately the SC is deployed except for drivers retiring, running out of fuel (not likely now there is no refuelling) and punctures due to the incident in which case the car joins in at the back. To gain an advantage under SC rules is unfair. Slower cars already gain an advantage by closing right up on drivers who have worked hard to pull away which can’t be helped but that should be the limit of advanatges under the SC.

[Estesark]

Closing the pit lane when the safety car is deployed is a rule that has been tried before, and it had its own problems.

Without going into those now, I don’t think it’s right to say Hamilton was “robbed” of second place. He and Vettel were evenly matched for most of the race and I have a feeling the double world champion would have got past eventually, even without a safety car. As McLaren have admitted, they were very tight for fuel, so being able to do a few slow laps actually helped them.

[GeeMac]

I’m all for having the cars in the right order behind the safety car. I have never been comfortable having lapped cars in the way of people who are dueling for position. It deprives the car behind of a golden opportunity to gain a position, and it deprives us of on track action. Yes, having the lapped cars in the way goes some way to remedying the injustice that has been done to the leader (who has had his lead slashed by the deployment of the safety car) but if he was good enough to build his lead once, he should be good enough to build the lead again.

What I do have an issue with however is the way the cars are put in the correct order. Because we have the delta times that the drivers have to stick to when the safety car is out on track, it takes too long to get the right cars in the right order. Why can’t the FIA, once all the cars are behind the safety car, order a group of say 5 cars at a time to shuffle into the right position in the snake? That would surely be quicker than making them drive round the whole circuit.

[Dougy_D]

Whilst on the subject of safety cars, did anyone else notice that Paul Di Resta passed the safety car when it first came out. Its close but you can see the Safety car passes the white line before Paul does. Lucky boy!!

[Author]

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