When race stewards and officers must ship a message to Components 1 drivers on monitor, they’ll name on groups to relay the data over the radio, or can throw up a flag across the monitor to immediately alert drivers. Marshals at F1 circuits can wave 9 totally different flags, and a few are used much more than others.
Initially of each race, the inexperienced flag is waved to point that the monitor is obvious and racing can begin, whereas the chequered flag is waved to sign the tip of a grand prix. F1 followers the world over will likely be conversant in these two flags, whereas the opposite seven flags out there to marshals may be waved at any level throughout a race to both warn drivers about one thing or give racers a particular instruction.
Over the course of a race, marshals might wave yellow flags to sign an obstruction on monitor forward and, relying on how they’re waved, name on racers to cut back their velocity. The blue flag means a fast-moving automobile is approaching and mandates that slow-moving automobiles transfer off the racing line to let the leaders handed, or in a race for a automobile to maneuver over to be lapped by the leaders.
The crimson flag is one other widespread web site in F1 and it brings the on-track motion to an finish, generally because of climate points or different incidents on monitor that make it unsafe to proceed. When it’s waved in a race, drivers are required to cut back their velocity and proceed to the pits the place they then line up on the pit exit whereas they await additional directions.
Whereas barely much less widespread, the black and white flag signifies to a driver that they’ve been reported for unsportsmanlike behaviour. Nowadays, this flag is mostly waved to alert racers to trace limits violations.
However there are three flags which are seen even much less continuously in F1, together with one which hasn’t been waved in additional than a 12 months.
Photograph by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Photographs
Yellow and crimson flag
The yellow and crimson striped flag is likely one of the instruments that stewards and marshals must alert F1 drivers to the situations on monitor. The flag is waved by marshals to warn racers a couple of change in grip ranges up forward and is commonly waved if oil or water spill onto the floor of the race monitor.
Not like the yellow flag, which is waved for hazard on monitor, this striped counterpart doesn’t require a response from drivers – like slowing down. Additionally, not like most different flags on the marshals’ disposal, the yellow and crimson striped flag isn’t waved and is, as a substitute, held stationary for drivers to see.
Photograph by: Cello Sports activities Media
Black and orange flag
This flag contains a black background with an orange circle within the centre, and because of this it’s generally known as the “meatball” flag.
This flag is waved for any driver dealing with a mechanical problem on their automobile that might impression the opposite drivers on monitor. It’s waved for issues like a leak or a free half – assume a clipped entrance wing finish plate – and requires drivers to go into the pits for repairs.
The flag was infamous by the 2022 season, with it waving an a number of consecutive grand prix – even prompting the FIA to confess that it was trigger-happy with its use over the season. Now, it’s use has dwindled to the purpose that groups are even calling for stewards to make use of it in races extra commonly. How the tables have turned.
Ignoring a black and orange flag will end in disqualification from the grand prix.
Marshall holding out a black Flag, Dallas GP
Photograph by: David Hutson / Motorsport Photographs
Black flag
The least waved flag in F1 is the black flag, which has solely been used 16 instances over the course of the championship’s 75-year historical past.
This flag is used to immediately disqualify a driver from a grand prix, and as soon as the black flag is waved at them the racer on the receiving finish should return to their pit storage without delay. The choice to indicate this flag rests solely with the stewards presiding over a grand prix and its use in an F1 weekend is uncommon.
The black flag was final waved at Nico Hulkenberg on the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix for receiving outdoors help. Previous to that, it was final used on the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix when Giancarlo Fisichella and Felipe Massa each left the pitlane whereas the crimson gentle was displaying.
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