Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard has criticised the championship's safety car procedures following the British Grand Prix finish at Silverstone. He called the process too slow and backed automatic red flags for late incidents. Anthony Davidson defended the decision to end the race under safety car conditions.
The safety car was deployed on lap 48 of 52 when Red Bull's Max Verstappen became beached in the gravel at Stowe corner. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc won ahead of Mercedes' George Russell in second and Lewis Hamilton in third.
Coulthard said on the Up To Speed podcast that the procedures take too long and referenced the 2021 Abu Dhabi race. He supported the idea of automatic red flags for incidents in the final 10 laps to allow a proper restart.
Davidson, speaking on Sky Sports F1, insisted the regulations must be followed regardless of entertainment value. The FIA confirmed an erroneous broadcast message about the safety car coming in, as there were not enough laps left to complete the unlapping procedure.
