During the 2025 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, two car issues prompted different responses from Formula 1 race control. On lap 29, Esteban Ocon’s Haas car stopped between Turns 7 and 8, leading to a Virtual Safety Car deployment to safely remove the vehicle. Marshals quickly cleared Ocon’s car in 3m40s due to its strategic location, ensuring minimal race disruption.
Conversely, when Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes broke down on lap 46 near Turn 8, a regular safety car was called, delaying the race due to limited recovery options. This decision aimed to maintain fair competition, rather than favoring race leader Max Verstappen.
The choice for a safety car over a VSC was necessitated by the complex recovery process, involving a steeper terrain and the presence of Ocon’s car at the nearest exit point. The safety car procedure lasted 14 minutes, allowing backmarkers like Oliver Bearman a chance to catch up with the leaders.
Ultimately, these incidents showcased the delicate balance between race control’s decisions and the impact on the competition’s integrity during a Formula 1 event.
