McLaren’s Lando Norris aired his discontent at the controversial manner at which the Australian Grand Prix ended and questioned whether it was all “to put on a bit of a show,” igniting a debate that could define Formula One as we know it.
On the 54th lap out of 58, Haas’ Kevin Magnussen lost his right rear tyre which brought out a red flag due to the severe debris on the track.
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It ultimately led to a two-lap shootout, but that was quickly abandoned when a number of cars bumped into each other on the restart as Carlos Sainz tagged Fernando Alonso and spun him around, Logan Sargeant went into the back of Nyck de Vries and both Alpines crashing into one another.
The wild scenes brought out the third red flag of the GP as the FIA took their time deliberating as to how the race should be concluded.
In the end, the cars drove around the circuit for what was essentially a victory lap as no overtaking was permitted as a grand total of eight drivers retired over the course of the race.
Norris, who was in the top ten before the second red flag, was able to hold onto his points and finished in sixth.
However, it didn’t stop the Brit from sharing his bafflement as to why the race was halted after Magnussen’s incident.
“I don’t see everything obviously, I see what I see in the cockpit,” Norris said after the race, per Channel 4.
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“I don’t feel like the second to last red flag was needed. The last one, I’m sure it was because there was a lot of people in the gravel and things, but the one before, possibly not. Maybe to put on a bit of a show.
“But yeah, I just feel like things can very easily get taken away for you after 55 laps of a race through no fault of your own because someone locks up in Turn 1 and takes you out, just because they want to make it exciting.
“I don’t know. I’m not complaining, it helps us a little bit and so on.”
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, who finished an impressive 4th, echoed Norris’ sentiment, but conceded the sport may be headed towards a future where fan interest is put first.
“I mean, yeah, I think they maybe just could have called it before we did that last lap,” Stroll said.
“I mean, we didn’t have fuel, or I don’t think anyone could have done another lap, but it would have been maybe just for the fans to do one more lap of proper racing.
“But that’s how it goes. Maybe those are things we’ve got to think of. It’s fun for everyone watching at home. It’s cool to have that kind of restart.
“So yeah, maybe that’s something to think about.”
Even the race winner, Max Verstappen, was perplexed at the decision for the red flag to come out after Magnussen’s error.
“I don’t think we needed that second red flag,” Verstappen said.
Verstappen, Hamilton react to Aus finish | 00:41
“I think that could have been done with a virtual safety car or a safety car at worst. It left a lot of drivers confused. Today was quite messy.
“I just didn’t understand why we needed a red flag. I think if you would have had a safety car and then just have a normal rolling start, we wouldn’t have had all these shunts, and then you have a normal finish.
“So [the race stewards] created the problems themselves at the end of the day.”
Aside from the confusion surrounding the second red flag of the race, Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez was concerned with another element altogether.
“I didn’t feel safe towards the end of the race so there is plenty of work to do there,” Perez said.
“The sun is basically in our face, at the restart we couldn’t see anything.”
However, Australian GP boss Andrew Westacott believed such a wild finish was inevitable given the lateness of the restart.
“It was about 12 cars left in the race at the end,” Westacott told WA Today.
“When that happens, getting out there for two laps — or what could’ve been a one lapper at the end — is gonna mean they’re going hammer and tongs.
Australian Grand Prix – Race Highlights | 07:03
Westacott added: “I’ve got no doubt the speed of the circuit, particularly around the lakeside, has led to more fierce racing, and probably has led to an increase in some of the overtaking, and definitely the spectacle.”
Yet The Times’ Martin Samuel questioned whether the sport should be tailored towards becoming a spectacle and allowing the drama to take precedence over the actual race.
“As this is a sport in which participants have died, the fact this could happen only for the action not to even count does seem somewhat reckless,” Samuel wrote.
“Then again, little makes sense in F1 now. No doubt when Netflix get hold of it, though, it will play as artfully as an episode of Succession.
“It will be argued, too, that this exposure has proved very good for the sport. That much is true.
“But, increasingly, it’s no longer sport, because sport has rules that cannot be adopted or ignored according to whims and the hope of better viewing figures. Also, sport doesn’t require a director.
“That’s what makes it so compelling. Sport’s improvised.”
Whether the controversial ending to the Australian GP is a stand-alone event or the first of several later this season remains to be seen, but it certainly feels like a dangerous precedent has now been set.
