FIA issue explanation for late British GP safety car confusion

The FIA has provided an explanation as to why the British Grand Prix ended under safety car conditions despite a message being displayed that the slow period would end before the final lap.

The safety car was deployed late on in the race when Max Verstappen suffered a shock spin at Turn 15, retiring from the grand prix.

As the safety car caught race leader Charles Leclerc and the rest of the pack, the line behind the Mercedes-AMG car was mixed with those on the lead lap and drivers who were one lap down.

On lap 50 of 51, race control gave the order for the lapped cars to unlap themselves, as is standard procedure with late safety car periods.

The information box then displayed the 'Safety Car Ending' message, sparking expectation that there would be one final lap of green flag running.

However, the car, driven by Bernd Mayländer, continued on its way around the track on the final lap, sparking mass confusion.

Shortly after the chequered flag, the FIA communicated that it was following the regulations, which highlight that one lap must be completed after the unlapping procedure before the race can get back underway.

“The Safety Car period regulation, Article B5. 13.5, states that one lap must be completed following the unlapping procedure,” read an FIA statement.

“This process was followed by Race Operations. The “Safety Car In This Lap” message was displayed erroneously due to a software error.”

The relevant piece of the FIA sporting regulations that the governing body is refering to reads as follows: “Unless the Race Director considers the presence of the Safety Car remains necessary, once the message “LAPPED CARS MAY NOW OVERTAKE” has been sent to all Competitors in accordance with Article B5.13.4c, the Safety Car will return to the pits at the end of the following lap.”