The FIA has released a statement following a confusing end to the British Grand Prix that saw a record crowd of F1 fans robbed of what could have been a dramatic one-lap shootout finish.

The safety car had been deployed after Max Verstappen crashed out and it looked all set to come in at the end of the penultimate lap when a “safety car ending” message was displayed. However, the safety car continued round the final corner, leaving spectators in a state of confusion and meaning that the race was to finish in a neutralised state.

Fans reacted angrily and could be seen to be leaving before the conclusion of the race and booing could be heard as the pack crossed the line.

A Dramatic British Grand Prix Ended in Farcical Scenes

After Red Bull’s Verstappen lost control of his RB22 and went spinning off into the gravel trap on lap 48 at turn 15, the safety car was deployed as the Dutchman’s car had to be removed by marshals following his retirement.

This left teams with a decision to make in regards to tyres. Both Ferrari’s decided to pit for new rubber, expecting to see the green flag again before the end of the race. Charles Leclerc managed to rejoin still in the lead, but Lewis Hamilton had been jumped by Mercedes’ George Russell who decided to continue on worn mediums.

The lack of a restart meant that Hamilton ultimately lost second place and wasn’t able to challenge Russell on his fresher tyres, and therefore sacrificed three points as he chases the Drivers’ Championship.

Credit: REUTERS/Andrew Boyers

FIA Spokesperson Explains Controversial Finish to British Grand Prix

The FIA said the message that the safety car would come in was “displayed erroneously due to a software error.” Lapped cars that had been allowed to pass had not completed the necessary laps to enable a restart under the regulations.

“The Safety Car period regulation, Article B5. 13.5, states that one lap must be completed following the unlapping procedure. This process was followed by Race Operations,” the FIA statement read.

The events are reminiscent of the 2021 title decider in Abu Dhabi when Hamilton lost the title to Max Verstappen after the rules for similar directives regarding lapped cars were not followed.

“Big, big congratulations to Charles, this is a great result for our team. I just didn’t have it today. I jumped the start, got a penalty, and Charles had the edge over me today,” Hamilton said after the race.

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli finished the race 16th after encountering technical issues, complaining that something was wrong with the steering. Before the issues, he had looked like he would extend his lead at the top by securing a podium.

An investigation into the events has been launched by the FIA.

Manchester United have reportedly been told they can sign a highly-rated Premier League star at the right price this summer. It has been a rather quiet window for the Red Devils so far, with no new signings officially snapped up. There is an agreement to sign Ederson from Atalanta, but the deal has not yet gone through due to a late medical request from United.

Elsewhere, the search goes on for a replacement for the departed Casemiro, while there are also other areas Michael Carrick will want to bolster this summer. Work goes on behind the scenes at Old Trafford, and the World Cup is never a helpful factor, but fans will want to see business start to pick up sooner rather than later.

Man Utd ask about Andrey Santos transfer conditions

According to Fabrizio Romano, United have been in touch with the agents of Chelsea starlet Andrey Santos to see if there is a deal to be done this summer. “Man Utd already a few months ago were considering Andrey Santos,” Romano began on his YouTube show. “He’s always been on shortlist. What happened in the last two or three days is that Manchester United made contact again with the agent of the player.

“So, Manchester United made a call to the agents of Andrey Santos to understand his situation. At the moment, as of this week, Manchester United have not gone back to Chelsea with an official bid or official proposal. So, we have to talk about the contract on the player side. But what I can add to this story is that Chelsea don’t consider Andrey Santos untouchable, so if Manchester United arrive and put good money on the table, Man Utd can sign Andrey Santos, because Chelsea don’t consider him untouchable, and there is the possibility of an exit in the summer in case of the arrival of a good proposal.

“Obviously, not for normal money, not for cheap money, forget about loans or this kind of stuff, but in case of good proposal, there is a chance for him (Santos) to leave for a new chapter at Manchester United or anywhere else.

Chelsea stand to make a huge profit on Santos, who would likely cost somewhere north of £50million, given he signed as a youngster for around £10million. Since then, the 22-year-old has made 28 Premier League appearances, but he has had to be patient behind the likes of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo.

In a scouting report from ScoutingStats after Santos’ loan spell with Strasbourg in 2024, the outlet described: “One of Santos’s standout attributes is his remarkable goal-scoring ability for a midfielder. His 100th percentile rating in goal threat highlights his knack for getting into scoring positions and converting chances effectively.”

On his defensive ability, it was added: “Santos’s high percentile ratings in both ball recovery and retention indicate his knack for reclaiming possession and maintaining it under pressure. His 94th percentile in ball recovery reflects his ability to disrupt opposition play, ensuring that his defensive contributions are as consistent as his offensive ones. These strengths, combined with his effectiveness in retaining possession, make him a balanced, box-to-box midfielder who can dominate both sides of the pitch.”

Jurgen Klopp has reacted with disbelief after FIFA revoked USA striker Folarin Balogun’s one-game suspension to allow him to play against Belgium in the Round of 16.

Balgoun was given his marching orders in the United States’ 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last round for a ‘serious foul’ on Tarik Muharemovic, which meant he was supposed to be missing for the next game.

However, FIFA announced on Sunday that the Monaco star will be able to play after they invoked Article 27 to suspend his ban for up to one year on a probation, sparking fury across the sport, with the Belgium FA confirming they were seeking legal advice on the matter.

Klopp Blasts Infantino and Trump for Involvement

REUTERS/Carlos Barria

GIVEMESPORT sources reported that Donald Trump and The White House made a call to FIFA to get them to review the red card, with US lawyers putting together a case that included disputing the use of slow motion replays.

Belgium’s FA released a statement stating that they were ‘astonished’ by the decision, with FIFA’s own ruleset stating that there is no appeal process for red cards during the tournament and that all referee decisions on the pitch are final.

Now Klopp, who looks set to take over as the next Germany manager following Julian Nagelsmann’s resignation after they were eliminated in the Round of 32 on penalties against Paraguay, has gone viral for his thoughts on the situation.

“If Trump and Infantino really sorted this out between themselves, that’s crazy, it calls everything into question,” he said, as relayed by Yahoo Sports.

“Let’s just say: this is our game, not theirs. These two people, who both have no idea about football, should have nothing to do with that. That was a red card. There’s no two ways about it. We’re sorry for Balogun because he didn’t mean to do it. But that’s what the rules say.

“There really aren’t two opinions about it. If that’s really what happened, there is still the possibility that the USA won’t play him anyway because they say, ‘We don’t want it like this.’

“We all suffer from wrong decisions. Even so, we all learn over the course of life to live with them. And this is simply a decision on a matter of fact.”

Klopp Joins Fury Over FIFA Decision

REUTERS/Hannah Mckay

Klopp’s words show that there is clear anger about the decision to allow Balogun to play in the next round, despite his red card, and he isn’t the only one to vent publicly.

Ian Wright described the decision as ‘shameful’, while Wayne Rooney described it as a ‘disgrace’ and said that it brought the sportsmanship of the game into question.

The USA are obviously delighted that their top attacker in this tournament will be able to help them chase a quarter-final spot in the tournament, but there will now be a major stain on that achievement if they are successful as a result of this farce.