The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend brought many controversies to the table. It all began with the news of human rights violations in the country last week. Then there was an attack at the Aramco oil factory near the track, which was a potential safety issue. The F1 drivers came together and put forth their views after fearing for safety in front of Formula One in a meeting.
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The on-track action was no less controversial as many drivers called the track dangerous. But arguably the most pivotal moment of the weekend was the late virtual safety car which caught out many drivers.
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There were two cars that stopped at the entry of the pit lane, but the FIA decided not to close the pit lane. Although no driver was hurt during the chain of events, it was indeed a safety issue for drivers going at a considerable amount of speed at that point on the track. Fans on Twitter also pointed out when Kevin Magnussen entered the pit lane, Daniel Ricciardo was still on the edge of the entry of the pit lane.
Ferrari F1 driver Carlos Sainz left mystified by the late safety car decision
Another important moment in the race was when Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz was making his way out of the pits. The Spanish driver was clearly ahead of Red Bull driver Sergio Perez when he crossed the pit lane line.
But he was only allowed to pass through the Red Bull driver after the safety car restarted. This decision did not sit well with the Ferrari driver and stated that he will clear the issue with FIA.
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“The safety car line with Checo, this is our number one priority now that we need to talk about with the FIA because basically, Checo lost the opportunity to fight with me on the restart, and I lost the opportunity to fight with Max [Verstappen] for [Perez] not giving up the position during the Safety Car,” said Sainz.
Formula One F1 – Bahrain Grand Prix – Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain – March 20, 2022, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. in action during the race REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani
“We had a lot of laps to do it. The FIA didn’t allow us and I think for the sake of racing and the sake of F1, these kinds of things need to happen quickly and they need to happen more efficiently,” said the Ferrari driver.
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WATCH STORY: F1 Drivers Fighting on Track
There will be many discussions that will be necessary after this race. Hopefully, the sport will take the right decisions regarding this track and also make clearer guidelines regarding the safety of the sport.
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