The incident did not go unnoticed, not even by Sebastian Vettel, who promptly reported it to his team via radio: the checkered flag signaling the end of the race was waved a lap early, on the 69th of the 70 laps of this Canadian Grand Prix.<\/p>\n
If it would be easy to blame the celebrity entrusted with this symbolic task, namely the Canadian model Winnie Harlow, it is in fact a miscommunication between the race management and the staff at the starting platform that is the cause, as highlighted by Charlie Whiting after the race: \u00ab There was a communication error between the starting platform and the guy they call here “the starter,” the guy who starts and finishes the race. He thought it was the last lap, he asked race management to confirm, they confirmed. They thought he was informing them when in fact he was asking a question. He told the person responsible for waving the flag to do it one lap early, so it has nothing to do with it being a celebrity, clarified the Race Director.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIT WASNT ME\u201d *Shaggy Voice* when they tell you to wave the flag a lap too early \ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude29\ud83d\ude21\ud83c\udfc1\ud83c\udfc1 but I’m so grateful no one was hurt! \ud83d\ude4f\ud83c\udffd\ud83c\udfce @F1<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/2wBmH3SDOP<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 \u2654Winnie Harlow\u2654 (@winnieharlow) 10 juin 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
But as the regulations stipulate, since the checkered flag was waved one lap earlier, it’s the standings from the previous lap that were taken into account, that of the 68th lap: \u00ab If, for any reason, the end-of-race signal is given before the lead car has completed the scheduled number of laps […], the race will be considered finished at the moment the lead car last crossed the finish line before the signal was given. \u00bb explains Article 43.2 of the sporting regulations.<\/p>\n
An anecdote without consequence for the Canadian Grand Prix but that could have changed the race standings if actions and overtakes between drivers had occurred in the 69th or 70th laps.<\/p>\n
Certain pilots, like Nico H\u00fclkenberg, even amused themselves on their Twitter accounts, gently teasing the Canadian for her mishap.<\/p>\n
\nNot much going on today.. but @winnieharlow<\/a> thanks for finishing after 68 of 70 laps \ud83d\ude09\ud83d\ude01
P7! #RSspirit<\/a> #CanadianGP<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/KHHftoLyc9<\/a><\/p>\n