Brundle: VSC timing robbed Norris as Madring shows promise but needs changes

The inaugural Madring Grand Prix delivered plenty of talking points — but not all positive. A Virtual Safety Car that arrived one corner too late for Lando Norris proved decisive, allowing Kimi Antonelli to claim victory and stretch his championship lead to 81 points. The new venue also raised serious overtaking concerns.

Why it matters:

The race was decided not by on-track battles but by safety car timing. Norris had been flying out front, but when Lance Stroll beached his Aston Martin, the VSC was deployed just as Norris passed the pit entry. Mercedes had time to pit Antonelli — and that was that.

The details:

• Norris missed the pit entry by moments as the VSC was called. With a lead over four seconds, he could have survived a stop — but the timing forced another lap at racing speed, then a slow seven-second stop.
• Verstappen was told to hand positions back after running through a chicane to avoid Hamilton — a decision Brundle believes likely cost him victory.
• Hamilton retired with brake issues in the opening laps, his first DNF since Brazil last season.
• The Madring's vast pitlane (25-second stop) and difficult overtaking layout drew criticism. Passing required "a highly risky lunge, or wait for rivals to make a mistake."
• Gasly was left out for 55 of 57 laps on hard tyres — a decision that left him unimpressed.

Between the lines:

Should a driver lose a race because another driver made a mistake? Brundle suggests: if a VSC is deployed, it should stay out for at least a full lap of all runners. It costs green-flag time, but prevents races being decided by pit-entry timing luck.

What's next:

Brundle expects and hopes the Madring will have layout changes for 2027 to improve overtaking, plus a more condensed operational setup. The track "has all the ingredients to make a credible contribution" to F1. Next up: the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on September 26, the start of a triple-header.