Max Verstappen believes Formula 1 drivers should discuss whether Virtual Safety Car procedures can be improved after the timing of the Madrid VSC cost Lando Norris a likely Spanish Grand Prix victory. The Red Bull driver benefited from the neutralisation himself, but admitted the way Norris lost the race was particularly painful.
The aftermath of the Madrid Grand Prix has been dominated by debate over the unfortunate timing of the Virtual Safety Car. Norris had been firmly in control of the race and appeared on course for a deserved victory before the neutralisation dramatically changed the order.
Lando Norris caught out by Madrid VSC timing
The issue was also a major topic during the traditional post-race press conference. Both Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen, the two drivers who benefited most from the reigning world champion’s misfortune, expressed sympathy for Norris.
The episode has already sparked a wider debate over whether Formula 1’s VSC procedures should be changed after Norris was unable to take advantage of the neutralisation in the same way as the cars running behind him.
Verstappen went a step further by suggesting that the drivers could discuss possible changes to the timing and application of the Virtual Safety Car in the near future. The four-time world champion did not propose a specific solution, but opened the door to a conversation within the drivers’ group.
Max Verstappen says the VSC system can probably be improved
At the same time, Verstappen acknowledged that these situations are part of motorsport and that virtually every driver has benefited from them at some stage while also losing out on other occasions.
“I’ve also won races because of these situations and I’ve lost races because of them,” Verstappen told reporters in Madrid. “And this time, for Lando, it was really painful to lose a win.”
“Sometimes you can think, ‘Oh, maybe I’ll lose a few points’, but this time it’s a victory. It’s not nice.”
Verstappen nevertheless stressed that Norris is far from the first driver to suffer because of badly timed race neutralisation.
“But unfortunately, I think a lot of drivers have experienced this situation: sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.”
Asked whether the system could be improved, Max Verstappen believes there is scope for discussion.
“Can it be improved? Probably yes, in the future,” he said. “We’ll probably talk about it at the next briefing to see if there’s anything that can be done. But unfortunately it has happened often in the past as well.”
Madrid result fuels wider Virtual Safety Car debate
The debate is therefore not centred on whether race control should have avoided deploying the VSC simply because Norris would lose out. Instead, the question is whether the regulations can reduce the amount of sporting advantage or disadvantage created purely by where a driver happens to be on the circuit when a neutralisation begins or ends.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has also called for the matter to be examined, with McLaren supporting a discussion over possible VSC rule changes following the Spanish Grand Prix.
For Verstappen, however, any solution will have to acknowledge that an element of luck is almost impossible to remove entirely. He has benefited from similar scenarios in the past and suffered because of them too.
Madrid may nevertheless provide the catalyst for a fresh discussion between the drivers and the FIA. Norris lost a race he appeared to have under control, while Antonelli and Verstappen gained significantly from the exact moment the Virtual Safety Car was deployed. Whether that leads to an actual regulatory change will depend on what emerges from the next drivers’ briefing.
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