Norris raises objection to Sainz’s VSC plan: what about rain?

Williams driver Carlos Sainz believes the VSC system, under which drivers must adhere to a prescribed delta time, is unfair. Writing on 23 September ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, RacingNews365 describes his proposal to close the pit lane temporarily during such a neutralisation. This raises the question of how the rules should deal with the advantage that the timing of a VSC can bring. [1]

Speaking to RacingNews365 and other outlets, McLaren driver Norris raises a practical objection: what should drivers do if it starts raining while they are still on slicks and the pit lane is closed? His question shows why he does not see closing it as a simple solution. The report does not make clear whether Sainz envisages an exception for rain. [1]

According to RacingNews365’s reconstruction, Norris experienced the consequences of the timing himself during the Spanish Grand Prix. He was leading Kimi Antonelli by six seconds, but was already going through the final corner when the VSC was deployed. Antonelli, by contrast, could head straight into the pit lane.

Norris stopped a lap later, when the race had returned to green-flag conditions. The outlet attributes his dropping behind Antonelli and Max Verstappen and ultimately finishing third to this. The six seconds cited were therefore his lead before that sequence of stops, not a measured pit-stop advantage. [1]