Tensions flared in the closing moments of the World Endurance Championship’s 6 Hours of Monza after race control declined to deploy a full-course yellow following a significant late-race incident. With just two minutes remaining on the clock, Jota driver Alex Lynn collided with the #94 Peugeot 9X8 driven by Malthe Jakobsen at the exit of the second chicane. The contact scattered debris across the track on the run down to Lesmo 1, leaving Lynn’s #12 Cadillac V-Series.R stranded against the barriers. Despite the severity of the crash and the hazardous debris field, officials opted for only double yellow flags between the corners, allowing the remainder of the race to continue with minimal disruption.
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The incident stemmed from a high-stakes battle for fifth place that began at Turn 1, where Jakobsen initially took the lead from Lynn. Seeking to retake the position, the British driver engaged in a close duel under braking for Variante de Roggia. Lynn locked up and entered the corner deeper than intended, veering right as he accelerated out to cover Jakobsen. This maneuver resulted in the physical contact that ended Lynn’s race, forcing him to climb over the barriers to exit the stranded hypercar. The aggressive nature of the late-race maneuver has drawn scrutiny, particularly given the proximity to the finish line.
Criticism of the safety protocol has emerged from within the driver lineup, most notably from Aston Martin’s Tom Gamble. Gamble noted that a full-course yellow deployment would have neutralized the field, potentially sparing him from a late penalty for exceeding usable energy limits. By maintaining a green flag status with only local yellow flags, race control prioritized the race flow over a complete neutralization, a decision that several competitors are now questioning. The controversy highlights ongoing debates within endurance racing regarding the balance between safety interventions and competitive integrity in the final stages of long-distance events.
Source: Yahoo Sports
