He safety car It is a key element of Formula 1 which is used to control car speed in dangerous situationssuch as accidents or adverse weather conditions. When the safety car enters the track, drivers must reduce their speed and cannot overtake, which results in the race being temporarily neutralized. This measure guarantees the safety of drivers, marshals and other people involved in the event.
In this article we will explore when the safety car is used, how it affects racing strategies and what differences exist with the virtual safety car.
What is the safety car
One of the methods used by FIA to try to guarantee the safety of the drivers when something happens on the track, such as an accident with a car stopped on the asphalt, with pieces scattered on the track or liquid spilled. In the event of unfavorable weather conditions, the race steward may also order the withdrawal of the car that starts when there is a yellow flag, because if it was a red flag the cars would have to return to the pits immediately .
He safety caror safety car in Spanish, is a vehicle that occasionally takes to the track after passing the yellow flag. When this Aston Martin either Mercedes When he enters the circuit, all the cars will gather behind him, but they will not be able to overtake each other. His presence practically means that a new race begins at his start, since the drivers once again participate in a sort of start since the distances between them have disappeared.
When he goes out on the track safety car The pilots are warned by radio. While the problem that forced the safety car out is resolved, they pursue it and one lap before leaving the circuit, they turn off the lights. Once he has started, when he crosses the finish line, the race resumes and he can overtake again, even if the DRS could not be used immediately.
What is virtual safety car
Sometimes the yellow flag is displayed and it is indicated that there is a virtual safety car. In this case, no physical safety car takes the track, but rather it would be a measure for the drivers to reduce their speed and all have to drive at the same pace, so that they do not crowd together and do not maintain their distance, nor, Obviously, there would be overtaking.
This system Its use began in 2015 and its use would be aimed more at minor accidents in which cleaning the track becomes a simpler and much faster task than when the safety car physical. For example, this is usually done when there are few materials on the asphalt and when there is no need to remove a car stopped in the middle of the track.
Differences between the two systems
As its name suggests, the main difference between the two is that the safety car requires a physical car to enter the track, while the virtual safety car allows the race to be slowed down more quickly and without having to bring additional vehicles onto the circuit.
From this essential difference arise others which make the two procedures completely different:
When the virtual safety carthe drivers continue on the track without competing with each other, reducing speed in the same way as in the event of an accident. safety car. The difference is that instead of grouping the cars together, they maintain the distances they already had between them. To do this, they must follow a delta time, displayed on their steering wheel, indicating whether they are above or below this reference time. This margin allows them to manage their advantage or disadvantage, which can prove crucial when the race resumes.
