David Coulthard calls for F1 rule change that would have fixed British Grand Prix safety car issue

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David Coulthard thinks lapped cars should have retired and allowed the British Grand Prix to end under racing conditions.

The British Grand Prix ended with great controversy as Max Verstappen spun at Stowe and retired from the race in the closing stages. The Red Bull driver’s stricken car brought out the safety car.

Both Ferraris darted into the pit lane for soft tyres, expecting the race to be restarted. The safety car was supposed to come in on the final lap, allowing for a one-lap shootout, but Bernd Maylander did not come in, giving Charles Leclerc the victory at Silverstone.

What are your thoughts on the British Grand Prix ending behind the safety car?

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David Coulthard says lapped cars should have retired at the British Grand Prix

Many F1 fans were furious over the safety car controversy, with many immediately drawing attention to what happened at the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP.

At Silverstone, all lapped cars – Oscar Piastri, Fernando Alonso, Ollie Bearman, Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas – were told they were allowed to unlap themselves. It was the rule that fans believed Michael Masi should have followed back in 2021.

READ MORE: Martin Brundle spots loophole in F1 safety car rules after British Grand Prix controversy

Like many, Coulthard was not happy with how the race ended under the safety car. After the British GP, he proposed that all lapped cars should have pulled into the pits and retired.

He argued, via Channel 4 (05/07, 5:06 pm), that they were ‘not good enough’ over the race distance and were not fighting for points.

Coulthard said: “Here’s a theory. For me, if you’re in the last two-three laps of a Grand Prix, lapped cars should just be told to come to the pits and pack their things up, because you’re not scoring any points anyway.

“Do not spoil our racing by trying to accommodate lapped cars. There’s a reason they’re a lap down, they weren’t good enough!”

While most people were furious with the ending of the race, Jenson Button thinks no one would complain if Lewis Hamilton was winning. He lost P2 to George Russell after pitting under the safety car and had no chance to catch him.