4 drivers warned for overtaking under Virtual Safety Car in Baku
Max Verstappen, Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon and Nico Hülkenberg were cautioned for overtaking after the chequered flag. The Virtual Safety Car was still deployed on track following the collision between Sergio Pérez and Carlos Sainz at the end of the Grand Prix.
As the Azerbaijan Grand Prix ended under Virtual Safety Car (VSC) after the strange incident between Carlos Sainz and Sergio Pérez, four drivers were warned for making overtakes during the cool-down lap. It turns out that the VSC was still in place, meaning overtaking was still not allowed.
Max Verstappen, Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon and Nico Hülkenberg are the drivers concerned by these warnings.
Verstappen did not hide his surprise after being summoned by the FIA following this incident: “I did not overtake under the virtual safety car. I crossed the line. The race is over. There have been many examples in the past, and this year too, where we have all done exactly the same thing, so for me, I am a little surprised.”
Remarks to be nuanced since the Dutchman seems to be talking only about the race here. In addition, the cameras showed that the Red Bull driver did indeed overtake during the victory lap.
Moreover, it was Lando Norris who reported the situation to his team, intrigued by Verstappen’s attitude: « I just had ‘VSC’ on my dashboard with yellow lights, like yesterday. Obviously, there was an accident, there were paramedics on the track, things like that, which usually means no overtaking. But Max was overtaking. So I asked myself the question, I asked the question to my team, because I didn’t think we were allowed to overtake, but maybe I’m wrong. »
As a reminder, under the Virtual Safety Car regime, drivers must maintain a reduced speed and respect defined gaps with other cars. Overtaking is strictly forbidden, unless it is clearly due to an unavoidable incident.
Although these warnings have not resulted in penalties, they could influence how the drivers will handle upcoming situations under the Virtual Safety Car.
The commissioners stated that from now on, each overtaking in these conditions will be closely examined, especially in a context where the safety of the drivers remains a top priority.
Max Verstappen will therefore have to remain vigilant to avoid any similar incident while he fights to maintain his lead in the championship. With a drop in performance in the last Grand Prix events, a penalty is the last thing the Dutch driver needs.
