Unfair F1 rules? VSC victim Lando Norris warns against hasty changes

Lando Norris did everything right at the Formula 1 debut at the Madring – yet he was not rewarded with victory. The defending champion had already secured the best starting position on Saturday in qualifying, when he clinched pole position with a magical lap. He did everything right in the race too – yet he had to settle for third place. Ahead of him, winner and championship leader Kimi Antonelli and Red Bull Racing star Max Verstappen crossed the finish line.

Norris didn’t stand a chance, as the virtual safety car period – which was called on lap 15 when Lance Stroll had to park his Aston Martin race car in turn 20 due to brake problems – came at the worst possible time for the 26-year-old. Whilst his rivals were able to use the yellow-flag period to change tyres without losing much time, Norris was unable to pull in straight away due to his position on the track.

Although he made up for the stop straight away, the race had already resumed by then and he had lost roughly twice as much time as his direct rivals. “I was the only one who couldn’t pit during the VSC phase, and that was just bad luck. It’s not the first time this has happened; I’ve benefited from the timing before, and sometimes it’s been a disadvantage. But this time, for the first time, it was a race for the win. It’s frustrating, of course, especially after my strong performance in qualifying and my good form at the start of the race. Naturally, I feel I deserved more. At the same time, though, my rivals also put in good races, and you have to give them credit for that,” sighs the 13-time Grand Prix winner.

A complex matter

Despite his disappointment, the McLaren star responds cautiously when asked whether the rules for virtual safety car periods should be adjusted to make them fairer. “That’s been discussed many times, by various drivers. But there are also a few arguments against it,” he says, playing it down. “As I said, I’ve benefited from the VSC timing before, and it’s also got in my way. And over the course of a season, that might well even itself out. Of course, it hurts particularly when you lose a win because of it. I couldn’t have done anything better today to secure the win. And that’s what makes it so difficult – it was beyond my control. I don’t think you should win a race like that. But I think everyone would agree with me on that. That’s just the way it is in racing; I can get annoyed about it, but I can’t really complain.”

“There are ideas, such as organising the virtual safety car period so that everyone can pit, or closing the pit lane and only allowing entry in exceptional circumstances, such as a puncture. There are a few things that can be done to make it fairer for everyone. But that’s a bigger discussion that needs to take place. What do you do, for example, if it’s raining – are you allowed in if you’re on slicks? So it’s a complex issue. And that’s not something I can demand; we have to discuss it as a group. Sure, I’m complaining today. But next time I might benefit from it. So I just have to accept it, and hope it doesn’t happen to anyone else, because that’s not how you should lose a race,” emphasises the current fourth-placed driver in the World Championship.

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