"Thanks to the FIA to wait for the switch of positions": Fans furious at VSC timing helping McLaren switch Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri's position

Fans questioned the FIA's decision on its Virtual Safety Car deployment during the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix Sprint at Interlagos. Some were of the opinion that the F1 governing body deployed the VSC only after McLaren completed its driver swap.

The Brazilian GP Sprint on Saturday saw Lando Norris take the victory ahead of his teammate Oscar Piastri and Red Bull's Max Verstappen. However, the race ending attracted significant attention and controversy after the FIA deployed the VSC near the end of the race.

Nico Hulkenberg of the Haas F1 team pulled up by the side of the track after suffering a technical issue on Lap 20. However, the FIA deployed the VSC two laps later, and this came right after McLaren made the driver swap.

The Papayas ordered Piastri to fall back and hand over the lead to Norris, and it put the Brit in a perfect position to take the race win. Furthermore, with the VSC in place, and Piastri between them, Norris had a perfect buffer from Verstappen.

As the FIA called in for the Virtual Safety Car only after McLaren carried out its driver swap, fans were furious with the decision and shared their reactions online. Here are some reactions taken from the micro-blogging site X, formerly Twitter:

Reacting to the decision, a fan posted, "Thanks to the FIA to wait for the switch of positions. Hulkenberg's life didn't worth Lando's championship."

"I’m not mad about McLaren telling Oscar to let Lando pass, they want their best chance to win the constructors. But the timing of that VSC coming out AFTER the overtake just in time to prevent Max over taking Oscar? That’s insane," another fan questioned the timing of the VSC.

"VSC coming out just when Verstappen was closing in on Piastri even though the Haas was beached for quite sometime! Very very weird and baffling!" another fan wrote, reiterating the same.

A fan questioned, "They delayed the VSC for you to swap them. No Merit here."

Another fan asked on the same delay, "What? The VSC was planned with the FIA? Bravo!"

"How much did this race cost you? Or did the stewards do this one for free? Rigged race," another fan wrote.

In the end, McLaren finished the race in 1-2, and Verstappen came home in P3. Verstappen tried going around the outside and overtake Piastri soon after the VSC ended, and the FIA noted the incident for a Safety Car infringement.

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Liam Lawson termed the FIA decision "unbelievable"

Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren and Oscar Piastri of Australia and McLaren. Credit: Getty Images

Liam Lawson, the RB driver, called the timing of the Virtual Safety Car at Interlagos unbelievable. He was one of the many drivers, former drivers, and experts who pointed their fingers at the decision.

Taking to his team radio, Lawson said:

"Mate, the timing of all that is unbelievable."

Notably, this has come after some fans questioned the neutrality of stewards following the 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix when Johnny Herbert and co. slapped Max Verstappen with two 10-second time penalties.

Johnny Herbert, a British national, and Tim Mayer, the son of McLaren co-founder, Teddy Mayer are two of the four stewards who were on duty during the race.