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 again, making it impossible to do so.
That meant Lance Stroll, the leader of the train of lapped cars, crossed the restart line some 20 seconds behind the car in front.
Albon, who at the time was a further eight seconds behind Stroll in 15th, questioned whether giving lapped cars such a limited window to catch up was the right way to go, as it forces them to drive flat out under safety car conditions.
When asked by Autosport if he was surprised at not being allowed to fully catch up, Albon said: “They have made…
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