The race stewards at the Australian Grand Prix have suggested that the topic of how incidents behind the Safety Car can be avoided must be discussed at future drivers' briefings. It follows a near-miss at Melbourne's Albert Park Circuit that saw Mick Schumacher come close to crashing into Yuki Tsunoda whilst behind the Safety Car. After a stewards' investigation, no driver was found guilty of breaching the regulations. However, it was advised that discussions should take place amongst the drivers about these types of situations. The talks, the stewards say, must be a "point of emphasis" in forthcoming driver briefings to help avoid any "unfortunate" potential incidents.
Stewards encourage discussions in driver briefings
As per the Sporting Regulations, drivers must follow within 10 car lengths of those ahead whilst behind the Safety Car. But, following Sunday's incident involving Schumacher and Tsunoda, the stewards have suggested that the regulation is "in tension" with the modern braking capabilities of Formula 1 cars. It is therefore possible that future driver meetings could see a suggestion to increase the gap at which cars must follow when the Safety Car is out. A document released by the stewards on Sunday evening read: "The stewards find no driver guilty of breaching the regulation, however, it is clear that the speed and braking capabilities of F1 cars, especially while trying to maintain required temperatures in tyres and brakes, are in tension with the 10 car length separation behind the Safety Car traditionally specified in the regulations. "This needs to be a point of emphasis in future driver briefings, to ensure the drivers collectively agree on how best to address this challenge before an unfortunate incident occurs."
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