The FIA has no concerns about how the clean-up after the Turn 1 collisions at the start of the Las Vegas Grand Prix was handled, despite marshals being on the run-off area as the field came through at the beginning of the second lap.
The incident had certain similarities with what happened at the same point of last month’s Mexican Grand Prix, when Liam Lawson arrived at the first corner to encounter two marshals on the track who had been deployed to collect debris from a first-corner collision.
They had been sent onto the track in the belief that the field had passed, but a miscommunication meant that race control’s attempt to cancel the instruction to enter the track when Lawson pitted at the end of the first lap was not heeded.
However, the FIA considers this situation to be different in several key details. Firstly, there was no such miscommunication in Las Vegas and race control was fully aware that there would be track workers on the Turn 1 runoff area when the field passed at the start of lap two.
It was also clear they would largely have completed the cleanup by the time the field passed, although there was no expectation that they would not be on the runoff at this time.
Secondly, in the case of Mexico or any other occasion when marshals are required to go onto the track, a VSC or safety car would be used but that was not deemed necessary on this occasion because the marshals were all on the run-off area rather than the circuit itself.
When debris subsequently needed to be collected from on the track shortly afterwards having been reported, the VSC was activated to cover this.
Therefore, this incident was covered by double-waved yellows, which were in force approaching and through the first corner.
There was also a single yellow flag deployed before they got to the start/finish by way of warning owing to the short straight.
Race control is understood to have been comfortable with this situation throughout and considered the situation to have been handled correctly.
