As most fans now know, Michael Schumacher was penalized 20 seconds (and pushed out of the points) for passing Alonso at the final corner of the last lap at Monaco. It’s weird, since the F1 safety car had pulled into the pits, but the track had not gone green, caution lights were still on and no other driver had any issue.
In my view, the rule is not unclear at all, despite what FIA announced yesterday. “The problems identified during the final lap of the Monaco Grand Prix showed a lack of clarity in the application of the rule prohibiting overtaking behind the safety car.” Still, it’s little known and it seems there has never before been an F1 race which ended under a full-course caution with the safety car deployed. You decide:
If the race ends while the safety car is deployed it will enter the pit lane at the end of the last lap and the cars will take the chequered flag as normal without overtaking
Schumacher Passes Alonso at Monaco
Update: While watching Speed Channel’s coverage of the Turkish GP this morning (30 May), I learned that the track lights had begun to flash green and that F1 control broadcast “track is clear” over the drivers’ radios after the safety car pulled off and before Schumacher’s pass. So perhaps Michael was justified in being a little confused, as the reality on-the-ground was very different from the sporting regulation rulebook.