Alonso was the winner of the safety car lottery this time. (LAT photo)
The appearance of the safety car during Sunday’s Singapore grand prix has reinvigorated the debate about the controversial rules.
Because the pitlane is closed immediately upon deployment of the safety car, the regulation can hugely benefit or disadvantage drivers depending on the progress of their race strategy.
For example, in Singapore, Robert Kubica and Nico Rosberg had to serve stop-go penalties for entering the closed pitlane, because they were out of fuel. Renault’s Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, had to admit his race victory was borne almost entirely out of the luck of the safety car draw.
“If I try to be polite, this rule is not a good one,” team founder Peter Sauber told the Swiss newspaper Blick.
It is rumored that most teams want to change the rule, but an immediate shakeup would require an unanimous vote. Apparently, two small teams have exercised their veto. The new FOTA alliance of teams, however, is able to change the rule for 2009 with a majority seven out of the 10 votes.
“A change this season is not possible,” BMW Sauber boss Mario Theissen, who wants the rule to be changed, is quoted as saying by motorline.cc.
Toyota team principal Tadashi Yamashina added: “We have had a lot of intense discussion on this matter, so I think it is time the situation was improved.”
