Norris says Madring and F1’s virtual safety car rule both need to change

MADRID – Formula One’s newest circuit needs to change, and so does the virtual safety car (VSC) rule, world champion Lando Norris said after losing a Spanish Grand Prix win that was his for the taking.

Fears of carnage — crashes and red flags — failed to materialize at the top level of racing but the first F1 race at the capital’s Madring circuit turned into a procession that even some drivers said had risked sending them to sleep.

“They should get rid of (turns) 18, 19. Useless,” said Norris, who finished third.

“Just have more of a straight into a hairpin.

“I don’t know how someone looks at this design and goes, ’Mint.’

“I’m excited to come back here next year if they can make these changes because I think it’s a track that is good fun to drive and it can be a great racetrack. To me, it’s not a great racetrack.”

VSC in the spotlight

The lack of overtaking opportunities also meant that an early VSC period changed the race outcome.

The timing of it, after Lance Stroll’s stopped Aston Martin had to be moved, allowed all those behind Norris to pit and gain time but effectively penalized him for being too far ahead.

By the time he could pit there was no VSC any more and he was unable to regain the lead due to the nature of the track.

Norris said Sunday was probably the first time a win had been lost because of the VSC, which keeps all cars at a particular speed for a short duration whereas a physical safety car takes several laps.

A pit stop under VSC conditions saves a driver some 11 seconds of race time compared to a regular stop.

“There’s literally nothing I could do as a driver today to do a better job. Pole, led the race, and to lose it for nothing in my control is, I don’t think, how a race should be won,” he told reporters.

“I think there are things (that can be done), because we have spoken about it in the past several times, about how it can be at least covered for one lap or everyone has the opportunity to do the pit stops, or you just block the pit entry and no one can box apart from if you have a puncture or something,” he added.

“I think there’s a few things you could do to make it more simple and more fair for everyone, but that’s a bigger discussion.”

Red Bull’s four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who finished second behind Mercedes’ championship leader Kimi Antonelli, expected the matter to be discussed at the next briefing.

McLaren boss Andrea Stella said any change would be a lengthy process “unless there’s a big push from the institutions, FIA or F1, to say ’we need to make this different.’”

Norris recognized potential complications, such as if drivers needed to change from slicks to wet tires, but said it needed addressing.

“I think everyone wants the same thing and that’s just fairness for everyone,” he said. “I have to take it on the chin, but I just hope it doesn’t happen to anyone again because it’s just not how you should lose a race.”