The peculiarity of the free tyre change that’s allowed below System 1’s pink flag guidelines has lengthy been a supply of frustration to drivers.
When the state of affairs crops up, prefer it did in Brazil final weekend and on the Monaco GP in Could, those that are caught on the fallacious facet of issues bemoan the sheer randomness of it.
In Monaco, it was all about how the onerous compound starters have been compromised by the first-lap pink flag that allowed all of the medium runners a free change to the onerous.
At Interlagos, George Russell, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc have been all left ruing what that they had misplaced by switching to contemporary inters as worsening rain arrived, whereas those who carried on in tough circumstances acquired a free tyre change after Franco Colapinto’s large crash.
The obvious luck of the draw is one thing that repeatedly will get criticised, and but nobody has give you the fairer answer.
Again on the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Norris was operating sixth early on when he made a cease below security automotive circumstances for Mick Schumacher’s accident – which dropped him to 14th.
In principle, it was about enjoying the lengthy sport as these forward of him that didn’t cease would wish to take action below full race circumstances afterward – so lose extra time.
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, makes a pit cease
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photographs
Nonetheless, his plan fell flat when a pink flag was introduced out, which handed everybody forward of him a free cease and left the Briton caught down the order.
Talking afterwards, his criticisms of issues have been just like what he stated on Sunday evening after Brazil.
“In fact, I am all the time on the unhealthy finish of it, so it most likely sucks extra for me than anybody, however I believe it is only a very unfair rule that needs to be taken away,” he stated.
“I believe they need to change it to 1 obligatory pit cease with two completely different tyre units wanted for use, after which I believe that is acceptable.
“However this simply ruins every part, to be trustworthy. You set a lot effort in for it to be taken away for some silly rule.”
However whereas the unfairness side is the factor that annoys drivers probably the most, final weekend’s race at Interlagos has put into focus one other issue that’s barely extra worrying.
It’s that in a moist race like Interlagos the place circumstances are worsening and there may be the potential for a pink flag, drivers are virtually inspired to remain out on far-from-perfect rubber for much longer than they ideally would.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who stopped below the VSC circumstances triggered by Nico Hulkenberg’s off, stated that the rain that was coming down had left the monitor treacherous – however the lead automobiles clearly felt it definitely worth the threat of staying out.
“I don’t suppose we anticipated it to rain as a lot because it did after which truthfully, the hardest a part of the race was behind the security automotive, making an attempt to remain on the monitor,” stated the Australian.
“I believe it type of uncovered a little bit of the difficulty we’ve with the moist tyre – when everyone seems to be begging for a pink flag however refusing to go onto the moist tyre as a result of it’s so unhealthy.
“A reasonably harmful state of affairs to have automobiles actually struggling to remain on the monitor behind the security automotive. Nevertheless it’s not likely something new. Hopefully, we will attempt to not less than change it now.”
Esteban Ocon, Alpine A524, Max Verstappen, Crimson Bull Racing RB20, on the restart
Photograph by: Lubomir Asenov / Motorsport Photographs
Race winner Max Verstappen, whose victory was made simpler by the pink flag state of affairs, admitted that issues have been proper on the knife edge as he stayed out – however there was no approach he was going to cease.
“When some pitted, the rain was coming, we stayed out, which was very sketchy,” defined the Dutchman.
“After which I noticed Esteban [Ocon] in entrance of me flying, like 4 seconds a lap sooner and I used to be like, ‘I am simply glad to maintain the automotive on the monitor’.
“At one level it was simply, we want a pink flag. It was simply undriveable, even on excessive tyres.”
Ferrari group principal Fred Vasseur, who had pitted Leclerc early however had dropped him into visitors, conceded that the difficulty groups face is playing on staying out and never crashing.
“For certain you’ll be able to say on the finish of the day, in case you keep on monitor, ready for the pink flag, it is the suitable name,” he stated. “However in case you crash, you look silly…”
McLaren group boss Andrea Stella stated that, with circumstances worsening, there was a security side to the state of affairs – and that whereas there have been aggressive beneficial properties available by staying out and hoping for a pink flag, in his thoughts there was just one plan of action he most well-liked.
Talking concerning the Brazil podium finishers who all stayed out, Stella stated: “I’m right here congratulating them on their selections.
“However personally, I’m not very snug to go away a automotive on the market that has tyres which are fairly worn with that quantity of water. With out the pink flag we might be commenting on a special race.”
The way in which to cease drivers from taking the gamble and pushing on with unsuitable tyres would theoretically be solved by not permitting the free tyre change that’s allowed within the laws.
If drivers knew {that a} pink flag wouldn’t enable them a free swap, then selections on which tyre to decide to could be primarily based purely on which is most fitted to the circumstances – and never a lot about playing in sticking it out when circumstances are too dire within the hope of being saved by a stoppage.
However the pink flag guidelines are in place for security causes and never aggressive ones. It has lengthy been accepted that altering tyres needs to be allowed below pink flag circumstances due to the danger of particles from accidents inflicting punctures or different points.
Forcing drivers to stay to their present tyres when there’s a likelihood they may have run over damaged carbon fibre of different components on the monitor, or been concerned in an accident themselves, could be an unbelievable security threat and lunacy to have within the guidelines.
There have, nevertheless, been quite a few options previously of how to probably enhance issues and make them fairer.
One thought, that will greatest work for dry races to keep away from the potential for a free cease, could be to permit groups to vary tyres within the stops – but when they wished to it must be for a similar compound.
This state of affairs would stop what occurred in Monaco, and likewise make sure that drivers who had stopped to change compounds below full race circumstances weren’t unfairly punished.
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Group VCARB 01, makes a pit cease
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photographs
Nonetheless, it will not have averted penalising drivers in Brazil as a result of the inter is in the end the very best tyre for the rain – as a result of by the point the complete moist is introduced into motion, usually visibility is so unhealthy that racing doesn’t happen.
One other thought may very well be to permit the groups the choice to vary tyres if they’re broken, but when they achieve this they’ve to tug themselves out of the race order and drop to the again.
That approach, there wouldn’t be an incentive to remain out longer than needed in tough circumstances – as a result of in the end if there’s a pink flag the drawback may very well be better if it’s worthwhile to change rubber. And in case you really feel you might be nonetheless on the suitable tyres, you’ll be able to preserve them on and take your cease later.
Or what about Norris’s suggestion after Saudi 2021, of tweaking the sporting guidelines to demand that every driver makes a compulsory cease below regular race circumstances, no matter a pink flag?
All these concepts are issues which have been mentioned, and drivers have their very own opinions about what could be accomplished to make it higher – however sadly, F1 has by no means moved issues ahead a lot.
Requested after Monaco whether or not he had some hope of the pink flag tyre rule being revisited by groups and the FIA, he stated: “I do not know. There are a lot of issues that they haven’t modified, most likely as a result of they do not hearken to the drivers.”
5 months his phrases nonetheless seem to ring true.
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