Former Formula 1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has issued a scathing criticism of how the Italian Grand Prix was managed after an unsatisfying conclusion to Sunday's race at Monza.
As one of the fastest circuits on the calendar, plenty of exciting action is always anticipated when the F1 circus pitches its tent around 20km north of Milan. Making the event extra special this year were celebrations from Ferrari, marking 75 years since the company was founded.
Their cars bore a special livery, and drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz swapped their usual, iconic red attire for all-yellow outfits. The only thing that could have made it more special was a victory for the home team – but the Tifosi were left angered by the way the race ended.
Max Verstappen was 16 seconds ahead of Leclerc when the safety car was called onto the track, making it extremely unlikely the Red Bull star would be caught anyway. But once all the drivers had been bunched up, there was plenty of anticipation for what was set to be an exciting sprint, possibly over just the final lap.
But it never came. Marshals had trouble moving Daniel Ricciardo's stricken McLaren from the track, delaying the restart and, eventually, there were no laps left to be run. Many have criticised the fact the race ended as a procession, and now 1997 champion Villeneuve has added his voice to that outcry.
"I thought the Italian Grand Prix was a really horrible race," he wrote in his column for Dutch website Formule1.nl. "I think it was especially sad for the tens of thousands of people who had bought very expensive tickets. They didn't get a show, or a finish – in fact, nothing at all.
"This race was not captivating. There was no strategic fighting, no battles on the track. It was empty, especially when you compare it to everything we have seen this year. We wanted more, but we didn't get it.
"This was partly due to the sub-standard race management. It had already not been very strong this year, but this was a new low. A race should be exciting and aggressive, and it should be managed accordingly. We are not in endurance racing, this is Formula 1!
"A race should never, ever end behind the safety car. So many things could have been done differently – a red flag, sending the stragglers on earlier... There was enough time, we could have raced two more laps.
"It made me realise that [the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ] was not that bad, after all. Mistakes were made, but there was always the intention to get racing again as soon as possible. [On Sunday] it seemed as if this was not important – incredible to see. This was not right, such a finish should be avoided."
Responding to widespread criticism over how the race ended, the FIA released a statement in which it explained that correct procedure had been followed. "As the safety of the recovery operation is our only priority, and the incident was not significant enough to require a red flag, the race ended under safety car following the procedures agreed between the FIA and all competitors," a spokesperson said.
