Several “unsafe releases” were not penalized during the Sprint race
The pit lane witnessed a real chaos during the Sprint race at Spa. Although no accidents were reported, the FIA strangely decided not to investigate the drivers for "unsafe release", as it usually does.
We narrowly avoided a disaster in the pit lane during the Sprint race this Saturday. While the wet track was gradually drying, many teams decided to call their drivers into the pit for a switch from full wet tires to intermediates.
Several drivers then performed “unsafe release”, which is the unsafe release of a car that is allowed to leave its position in the pits in a dangerous manner for itself or for other competitors.
This was indeed the case for Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen. The Dutchman narrowly missed hitting Lando Norris as he left his spot, with Norris coming up behind him in the pit lane. On his part, the Monegasque driver inserted himself just behind Alex Albon, also narrowly avoiding a collision.
While the stewards usually investigate these “unsafe releases”, curiously, that was not the case this time. Typically, these dangerous incidents are followed by a five-second penalty for the driver at fault. But both Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen escape without further consequences.
