F1: Brief use of VSC was correct, FIA says

The FIA insists the right call was made to briefly deploy the virtual safety car for the first time in Formula 1 following Max Verstappen's crash in the Monaco Grand Prix.

On lap 64 Verstappen was jostling with Romain Grosjean for 10th place when the Dutchman collided with the Frenchman towards the end of the main straight. The impact, with Verstappen running into the right-rear wheel of the Lotus with the front-left of his Toro Rosso, resulted in the 17-year-old plowing nose first into the barrier at Ste Devote.

Race director Charlie Whiting immediately opted for the virtual safety car, designed to neutralise a race and slow cars down while an incident is attended to, which was brought in following the circumstances of Jules Bianchi's accident in Japan last year.

AUTOSPORT has learned once Whiting was fully appreciative of the accident, and the medical car was also required, he then opted to send out the safety car. The FIA maintains Whiting adhered to the correct procedures, in accordance with the regulations applied to the virtual safety car, in this instance.

Motor sport's governing body, meanwhile, has also made clear GPS is available around Monaco, despite Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff's claims to the contrary.

Wolff cited a lack of GPS as one of the causes for confusion on the Mercedes pitwall that resulted in Lewis Hamilton being brought in for an unnecessary pit stop shortly after Verstappen's smash that cost him the race victory.

The FIA maintains while the signal is not as robust as at some other circuits, it is in play.

Originally on Autosport.com