Formula 1 race director Michael Masi has explained what would have happened at the restart of the Hungarian Grand Prix if no cars at all had gone to the grid. The race featured one of the most unusual restarts in the sport's history, with Lewis Hamilton the only driver to start from the grid whilst every other car came into the pits at end of the formation lap to put on dry tyres. Hamilton, meanwhile, was left with intermediates despite the drying conditions of the track, and as a result lost the race lead when he had to pit soon afterwards. Whilst it may have been strange to see just one car drive off from the grid at the restart, it would have been even more unchartered territory if Hamilton had joined the other cars in pitting. Masi has detailed what the procedure would have been had this occured. "What would have happened, which it didn't, but basically once the last car was in pitlane, the start signal would have been initiated," Masi told RacingNews365.com and other select media. "Then once that went off, the green light at pit exit would have come out and [it] would have been the order from pitlane exit." On whether this will now have to made clear in the rules, Masi is open to considering the idea. "It's something no-one could have really forseen," the race director said. "We'll let things calm down and have a chat about it in the light of day with all of the sporting directors. "But, having spoken to some of them already, up and down [the paddock], some of them have already said, 'Was it really a bad thing?'" Masi might have a different vantage point of the race from many F1 fans but, just like perhaps most viewers, he admits he couldn't really believe his eyes when every car behind Hamilton peeled off into the pits. "Obviously I saw Lewis pass the safety car line, and then saw Esteban [Ocon] sort of dive in quite late, but at that point, no [I couldn't believe my eyes]! "[We] haven't had one of those before." Ocon went on to claim his first ever win in Formula 1 during the chaotic race, with Sebastian Vettel in second, though he was later disqualified due to the FIA being unable to take enough of a fuel sample from his Aston Martin car at the end of the race. The team will appeal the decision however. Meanwhile Hamilton finished in third and has now leapfrogged Max Verstappen at the top of the World Championship standings.
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