Debris chaos in Qatar GP: FIA defends itself after Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton punctures
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At the Qatar GP in Losail, a key moment sparked significant controversy: a mirror left on the main straight by Alexander Albon and later shattered by Valtteri Bottas may have been the root cause of the punctures suffered by Ferrari and Mercedes.
Another race, another controversy over the management of the International Federation. This time, everything was in the mix: missed Safety Cars, harsh penalties, and contentious decisions. From Max Verstappen's grid penalty to Lando Norris's stop-and-go sanction, the new race director Rui Marques faced several challenges. But the most debated incident occurred on lap 30.
Alexander Albon lost his right-side mirror, which remained on the start/finish straight. The FIA displayed double yellow flags—ignored by Lando Norris, resulting in his penalty—but chose not to take further action. A few laps later, Valtteri Bottas struck the mirror, shattering it. The subsequent punctures for Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton, potentially caused by the debris, prompted race control to deploy the Safety Car.
FIA Chaos in Qatar: Could the Mirror Incident Have Been Handled Differently?
A question raised by many in the paddock was simple: could an earlier deployment of the Safety Car have prevented the subsequent chaos on track? In response to the criticism, the FIA issued a statement explaining its decisions.
“The procedure dictates that the Safety Car is not used for a small quantity of debris outside the racing line,” the document states, as reported by Motorsport.com. “The significant amount of debris after a car struck the mirror and the punctures that followed shortly afterward necessitated the decision to deploy the Safety Car.”
“A VSC would not have been a solution, as the cars would remain spread out, leaving insufficient time for a marshal to remove the debris.” In any case, “the FIA constantly reviews its methods and processes and will further analyze this specific scenario, discussing it with teams to determine whether a different course of action will be necessary in the future.”
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