'Software error' blamed for F1 confusion as former driver calls for change

Australian Formula 1 fans who were up in the middle of the night thought, for a brief moment, a grandstand finish was coming to the British Grand Prix.

A late safety car added drama to an action-packed race on Monday morning (AEST), and excitement looked set to reach a crescendo when it was called in at the end of the penultimate lap.

But the safety car never pulled into the pit lane, leading the field around for the final lap and allowing Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to coast to victory.

Here is what happened at the end of the British Grand Prix, and how a "software error" led to confusion.

Max Verstappen crashes late

Red Bull's Max Verstappen was running third when he spun off the Silverstone circuit with five laps remaining.

His car was beached in a gravel trap, leading to a safety car being called.

Ferrari certainly expected the race to restart before the end, pitting Lewis Hamilton, who dropped from second to third as Mercedes gambled with George Russell surviving on old tyres.

On the penultimate lap of the race, lapped cars were instructed that they could drive off the front of the queue and unlap themselves.

Once those cars had gone, the message came that the safety car would pull in at the end of the lap.

But that never happened. Safety car driver Bernd Maylander was told to stay out for the final lap, much to the relief of race winner Leclerc.

"I did all the safety car time at 100-120kph. My tyres were completely cold, so I was very sceptical about the restart," Leclerc said after the race.

"It's not great for all the fans that are here at the track, but in the helmet, I was kind of happy there was not a restart, to keep that win."

'Software error' blamed for safety car confusion

After the race, the governing FIA was quick to release a statement to clear up the confusion about the safety car ending.

"The Safety Car period regulation, Article B5. 13.5, states that one lap must be completed following the unlapping procedure," the FIA statement read.

The part in the sporting regulation the FIA referenced, Article B5.13.5 b to be precise, states that after lapped cars are told they can drive ahead, the safety car will come in at the end of the following lap.

That means when the lapped cars were told on lap 51 of 52 they were allowed to overtake, the safety car had to come in at the end of lap 52.

Therefore, the safety car staying out, while confusing, was the correct procedure.

The FIA went on to say the message to call in the safety car was an accident.

"This process was followed by Race Operations. The 'Safety Car In This Lap' message was displayed erroneously due to a software error."

Former F1 driver calls for safety car change

While the ending of the British Grand Prix followed the correct procedure, it was an anti-climax to what was an entertaining race.

Former F1 driver Martin Brundle believes the procedure should be addressed by the governing FIA.

Speaking on the Sky Sports broadcast after the grand prix, Brundle said efforts needed to be made to make the safety car period quicker.

"Whatever the regulations say, they've got to say something different soon," Brundle said.

"We've got a fantastic crowd, all the people sitting at home watching on their devices … they deserve a finish to the race.

"I do think there has to be a better way, on a long circuit particularly, or sorting the lapped runners out, without it prolonging a safety car period which are already long enough."

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