Binotto scolds ‘sleeping’ FIA for poorly-handled F1 Safety Car finish

Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza concluded in anti-climatic circumstances behind the Safety Car, denying a grandstand finish between eventual winner Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. 

F1’s runaway championship leader appeared on course for a comfortable victory over Leclerc before Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren stopped on track on Lap 47, triggering a late Safety Car period. 

The leaders both pitted for soft tyres, setting up the prospect of a thrilling scrap to the flag for victory, but the dramatic ending never materialised because there were not enough laps to resume racing. 

It was an outcome which left Ferrari team principal Binotto dismayed. 

"Today we had all the conditions to have a restart of the race, I don't know why they waited so long," Binotto told Sky Italy after the race. 

"The FIA has been caught sleeping, maybe they are not yet ready to deal with these situations.” 

Asked in a later media session if he thinks the FIA needs to change the rules, as has been suggested by some of his rival team bosses, Binotto replied: “No, I don't think it's a matter of changing the rules. The rules have been discussed, largely, especially after Abu Dhabi last year. 

“They were discussed with the FIA, F1 and the teams, and we came to a conclusion that the current format is probably the right one to keep. So I don't think it's a matter of regulations today. 

“I am certainly disappointed for how long it took them to decide, and I think we are not understanding why it took so long to release the cars between the safety car and the leader. 

“I don't think safety could be the right reason for it because when you are released, as a driver, you cannot go simply flat out around the track, because there is a minimum lap time, which is set in the regulations. 

“And this minimum laptime is there to make sure that whenever they are running and driving, they're doing it safely. 

“So what we do not understand is, with the current regulations that we believe are right, why it took so long for them to decide.” 

The FIA explained that Ricciardo’s car being stuck in gear was the reason behind the extended Safety Car period, with the stricken McLaren only removed on Lap 53 - the final lap of the race. 

Binotto said he accepted the FIA’s reasoning but reiterated that he thinks F1’s governing body still should have done a “better job”. 

“I understand it may have been complicated,” he added. “But still, in parallel, I think we could have, with the safety car, done a better job in order to prepare the entire train of cars to be ready for a new start of the race. And that didn't happen. 

“So I think simply that was wrong and could have been done better; without changing the regulations. The regulations are in place, it's only a matter of applying them in a better way.”