At the end of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, controversy arose over how the moment in which the virtual safety car came out was managed following the abandonment of Fernando Alonso and Daniel Ricciardo from lap 38 to 41.
The main argument came about over the difference between the margin separating race leader Charles Leclerc and then second-placed Max Verstappen when the VSC period started compared to the distance when the test resumed.
At first glance, the figures do not add up, since at the end of lap 37 (the last before the race was neutralized) the difference between the two leaders at the finish line was 1.581 seconds, while on lap 41 ( after the VSC) dropped to 0.483 seconds.
However, on closer investigation, there were no anomalies in the system governing the virtual safety car regime. Going down the main straight on lap 40, the distance between Leclerc and Verstappen was 1.655 seconds , so the Dutchman did maintain that figure just before the green flag to restart the race at the second corner.
The difference decreased a few tenths from turn 4 to 13, where Leclerc spent 1,190 seconds ahead, but in the second sector, Verstappen managed to drop from second after doing a 29.239 against the Monegasque’s 29.530 in that sector.
Once within DRS distance, the reigning world champion entered Turn 27 four tenths behind Leclerc, latching onto him for a spectacular battle to take the lead.
Thus, it does not seem that there was any anomaly in the management of the virtual safety car regime, but there were small differences in the phase of the restart, a crucial moment in which the Red Bull seemed to immediately go to the limit, probably thanks to the temperature of the tires.
We are talking about tenths of a second, differences that the teams, the FIA and the drivers themselves do not normally pay much attention to, but in a duel as close as the one seen in Jeddah between Leclerc and Verstappen , they can be decisive.
It is possible that this will be a topic that is talked about a lot during the 2022 season, which promises to have a lot of technical equality to benefit the show, which will be able to stretch the nerves of both the drivers and the teams involved in this wonderful battle.
