Pierre Gasly has revealed that the Formula 1 drivers are set to discuss the British Grand Prix ending behind a safety car with the FIA, on Thursday evening ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.
Gasly sarcastically clapped inside his cockpit as he crossed the finish line at Silverstone, visibly frustrated after the British GP ended behind the safety car in controversial fashion.
The Alpine driver, who finished 10th, was among several drivers left exasperated by the anticlimactic conclusion to the race, after a late crash for Max Verstappen triggered a safety car period that consumed the remaining laps.
The FIA explained post-race that a "Safety Car In This Lap" message had been displayed erroneously due to a software error, briefly raising hopes of a restart before being corrected.
Under Article B5.13.5 of the safety car regulations, one full lap must be completed following the un-lapping procedure, and because that lap coincided with the final lap of the scheduled 52-lap distance, there was no legal opportunity to resume racing before the chequered flag.
Charles Leclerc took victory for Ferrari ahead of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, but the manner of the finish drew boos from fans in the grandstands and sharp criticism from within the paddock.
Asked if he could have handled the situation better, Gasly told select media, including RacingNews365: "I'm a racer, and I obviously think, as much as possible, it's never great for anyone, on or off the track, to finish a race behind a safety car.
"So I think I was, yeah, a little frustrated with the situation. I didn't have all the information at the time. Afterwards, I understood why things happened the way they did.
"But I think we all agree that, in future, ideally we don't have a situation where a race basically ends behind the safety car in that fashion. I don't think it looks great for us or for you guys [the media]."
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Drivers set for FIA talks
Gasly confirmed that the matter will be raised directly with race officials at the next drivers' meeting, with the 30-year-old keen to find a practical solution that prevents a repeat.
This will take place at the end of media day, today, ahead of this weekend's race at Spa-Francorchamps, with Gasly believing the drivers and the FIA will want to find a solution to avoid future races ending in the same manner as Silverstone.
Discussing whether he has any ideas to propose to avoid a safety car finish in the future, Gasly explained: "I think, yeah, I'm sure we're going to discuss it with the drivers at the drivers' meeting tonight, trying to find a way to make these decisions more quickly, or just allowing the race director a more efficient way to restart the race, just to avoid this situation.
"I'm sure they're not happy with it, and I think, on my side as a racer, if you ask me, 'Do you want to race for one more lap and get a chance to make up a few more positions?', I'll always be happy to do it. That's the way I see racing."
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