Starting from the fifth position, Max Verstappen made an impressive climb during the Mexico City GP. In the final stages of the race, the Dutchman had his sights set on second place, behind the anticipated winner Lando Norris. On fresher tires, he put pressure on Charles Leclerc—who was in second place at the time—but a virtual safety car (VSC) threw a spanner in the works. In a new statement, the FIA defends this late VSC.
On social media, fans criticized the race management’s decision to neutralize the race—right in the middle of a crucial duel. The FIA called for the VSC following Carlos Sainz‘s retirement from the race. However, the Spaniard had neatly parked his Williams off the track, in a place where the car posed no danger to the other drivers. According to many experts, a yellow flag at the entrance to the stadium section of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez would have sufficed—especially since Verstappen could then have used the rest of the track to attack Leclerc.
The intervention thus cost Verstappen valuable championship points. As the title fight moves towards a thrilling climax, this third place could still prove costly for the Dutchman. After the race, the FIA released a statement defending their decision. According to the organization, the intervention was based on the information passed on by the marshals. “Sainz’s car began to smoke and race control received reports of a fire,” the statement read. “Therefore, the marshals had to intervene to safely remove the car.”
