Nico Rosberg has proposed that Formula 1 closes the pit lane during a Virtual Safety Car after Lando Norris lost the lead at the Spanish Grand Prix because of the timing.
Norris, who had been leading by five seconds when the VSC was deployed, fought back to finish in third place behind race winner Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen.
Nico Rosberg proposes pit lane closure during F1 Virtual Safety Cars
Norris controlled the opening stint of the Spanish Grand Prix as he led from pole position ahead of Antonelli.
However, a VSC on Lap 15 threw his race into disarray.
Lance Stroll crashed into the barrier at Turn 20, with the marshals waving the yellow flags.
Norris, having just entered the main straight, continued without pitting only for the VSC to be shown moments later.
That opened the door for his rivals, who were seconds behind him on the track, to dive into the pits for a cheap pit stop. Antonelli and Verstappen both took advantage.
Worse still, as Norris approached the pit lane on his next lap, the VSC was lifted. He still pitted, but it cost him dearly.
The McLaren driver returned to the track in fifth place, but was only able to work his way up to third, such was his deficit on the track.
It was unfortunate timing for Norris, and while Safety Cars can also change the outcome of a Grand Prix, the Safety Car at least offers more laps for all the remaining drivers to grab a free pit stop.
Rosberg has proposed that Formula 1 closes the pit lane to make it fair for everyone. His other proposal is that the pit lane speed limit is reduced during a VSC to make it equivalent with a normal green-flag pit stop.
“It’s just really unlucky,” the 2016 F1 world champion told Sky Sports’ The F1 Show podcast. “That’s the way it is.
“It’s swings and roundabouts with the VSC and Safety Car deployments. You’re always going to have good luck or bad luck.
“It’s always horrible when that happens because he deserved to win, and it sucks that he lost it just because of a VSC.
“The problem is we hate seeing cars going round and round behind a Safety Car. It’s the most boring thing in the world of motorsport. And that’s why the VSC has been brought in so that we can reduce speed out there for minor dangers.
“Like now, in the case of Lance Stroll, because he was almost out of the way. It just took a little bit of time to clear him out, and that was it. The VSC is still a great thing. But those are good ideas which might be worth exploring.
“Either the pit lane stays closed during a VSC, which then doesn’t give anybody the opportunity to take advantage during it or even why not something like: during a VSC, the pit lane speed limit gets reduced massively because it’s all about the time lost during a pit stop.
“The problem is during a VSC, the pit stop time lost is so much less because everybody on track is driving so slowly, so by going in the pits you lose a lot less race time, and that is the big problem, why then it becomes unfair.
“But if you somehow find a way to make the pit stop time lost during a VSC as much time lost as when there’s no VSC, so you need to somehow slow people down who are going for the pit stop, that could be an idea. So then it’s all fair and equal for everybody.”
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For Norris, though, it was “unfair” at the Madring.
He revealed that the drivers had spoken with the FIA during drivers’ briefings about remaining under VSC conditions for a full lap to make it fair for everyone.
“I was just unlucky,” a disappointed Norris told Sky F1. “I was the only one on the whole grid that doesn’t get a pit stop, so I lose 20 seconds on the whole grid. This is out of my control. It’s out of their [McLaren’s] control.
“It’s a rule that shouldn’t define a race. A race should be won by the guy who can put in the best performance, who maybe takes a risk by going long in a stint, and maybe you get a Safety Car later on and things can help, because you know that’s one of the big factors.
“But for everyone to get a VSC pit-loss, and me to get nothing, it’s just unfair.
“But it’s happened in the past. Others have won from it. Probably won it for me in the past. It’s just I don’t think many people have lost a race win over it. It’s frustrating. I don’t feel like it’s the way you should lose.
“We’ve spoken about it in the past in the drivers’ briefings, saying they should leave it out at least for a lap, so it’s equal for everyone.”
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