F1 safety car unlapping rules may need further review

On lap 46 the safety car came out for a fire on the AlphaTauri of Pierre Gasly. Three laps in, FIA race control notified lapped cars – the six drivers from Aston Martin, McLaren and Williams – that they could overtake the safety car and unlap themselves.

As is customary, one lap after that message was made the safety was called in again. But as cars were only starting to unlap themselves in the final sector, it gave them just over one lap to catch up to the back of the pack…