Breaking news
Formula 1 Tuscany GP
Safety car lights change wouldn't have stopped pile-up - Latifi
Nicholas Latifi doubts that Formula 1 would have avoided the Tuscan GP restart pile-up even if the safety car lights had turned off earlier.
Jonathan Noble
Edited: Sep 16, 2020, 8:54 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
The Mugello race had to be red flagged when a number of cars, including Latifi’s Williams, were eliminated after crashing into each at the first safety car restart.
The incident was blamed on cars at the back of the pack accelerating to try to get a good getaway, while those ahead had to brake because race leader Valtteri Bottas held off on his restart until the last moment.
After the race, a number of drivers suggested that one of the trigger points for the incident was that the lights on the safety car had turned off so late, leaving Bottas with no option but to delay his restart until the last second.
But Latifi, who joined Carlos Sainz, Kevin Magnussen and Antonio Giovinazzi in being eliminated in the chain reaction incident, thinks that the timing of the safety car lights had nothing to do with it.
“When the safety car lights go out too late when you're the leader, you always want it to come off as early as possible so you can just start controlling your pace,” said Latifi.
“At the same time, with Valtteri in the lead. I'd be very surprised if he went earlier if the safety car lights went off earlier. For me, he would have waited to still be as late as he did because you want to minimize the slipstream effect.
"So let's say even if the car lights went out at the beginning of the lap, and then he had a whole lap, I guarantee you he would probably still want to go at the same place, because that would have been the smart thing to do.”
Latifi believes that the way to avoid repeat incidents in the future is to perhaps make special arrangements regarding restart procedures at tracks which have the potential to be troublesome because of their layout.
“Going forward, I think maybe on a case by case basis on certain tracks, so mainly here, if we come back, and a track like Baku, maybe they just have to think about implementing something a bit different,” said the Canadian
“It's a difficult judgement to make. But definitely, I think there has to be, let's say, a bit more discipline from all the drivers in situations like that, too.
“Not be nose to tail in case something like that happens, but to keep a reasonable gap. Because I truly think the accident was caused by some drivers in the mid pack leaving too big a gap and accelerating flat out into that gap thinking: 'Oh, now I've got to get close because the race is about to restart.”
Read Also:
- The key questions about the Mugello restart crash
- Masi hits back at Hamilton's "offensive" safety claims
- Masi: No need to review safety car restart rules
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Renault in talks with FIA over Alonso 2020 F1 test
Next article Mercedes explains Hamilton brake fire on Mugello grid
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Jonathan Noble
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
Formula 1
Formula 1
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Formula 1
Formula 1
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
Formula 1
Formula 1
Australian GP
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
More from
Nicholas Latifi
Nicholas Latifi makes first public statement since retirement
Formula 1
Formula 1
Nicholas Latifi makes first public statement since retirement
Latifi: IndyCar contract talk “funny”, denies concrete news
IndyCar
IndyCar
Latifi: IndyCar contract talk “funny”, denies concrete news
Latifi frustrated by quick FIA decision on Zhou clash
Formula 1
Formula 1
Singapore GP
Latifi frustrated by quick FIA decision on Zhou clash
More from
Williams
Franco Colapinto, George Russell to sit out FP1 at F1 Mexico GP
Formula 1
Formula 1
United States GP
Franco Colapinto, George Russell to sit out FP1 at F1 Mexico GP
Fernando Alonso blasts driving standards of bottom half of F1 grid
Formula 1
Formula 1
United States GP
Fernando Alonso blasts driving standards of bottom half of F1 grid
Latest news
Alex Bowman hits out at critics in snarky post, shooting down early exit rumors
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Homestead-Miami
4 h
Alex Bowman hits out at critics in snarky post, shooting down early exit rumors
Ryan Blaney gets sweet redemption after 'nightmares' following 2024 Homestead loss
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Homestead-Miami
4 h
Ryan Blaney gets sweet redemption after 'nightmares' following 2024 Homestead loss
IndyCar 2026 season review: Dale Coyne Racing
IndyCar
Indy IndyCar 4 h
IndyCar 2026 season review: Dale Coyne Racing
Noah Gragson apologizes to Daniel Suarez for spinning him at Homestead
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Homestead-Miami
4 h
Noah Gragson apologizes to Daniel Suarez for spinning him at Homestead
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe