A sudden, sudden wave of Method 1 drivers ignoring blue flags in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix was really brought on by a system failure.
Flag signalling has advanced together with know-how with F1. In days of yore, it was simply bodily flags being waved trackside, however extra seen gentle panels have been subsequently added, and drivers now see blue flags pertaining to them on their steering wheel show.
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Nevertheless, in Sunday’s race on the Hungaroring, blue flags have been reported to be proven randomly and with out driver numbers on the sprint, which precipitated a lot of shut calls and, at occasions, incidents.
“We did not have any suggestions on the sprint, on the vehicles,” Esteban Ocon defined. “So, we solely had the blue flag panels, however not with our numbers.
“For instance, I used to be racing Isack [Hadjar] exit of pitlane, however I used to be a lap down, I did not know. So, I may need blocked him for 3 corners. However by the point the engineers informed me, ‘Properly, you are not racing him’, you do not know as a result of the blue flag is at all times flashing the entire lap. So, yeah, it is not likely clear.”
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Motorsport understands the FIA was conscious of the continued situation and subsequently relied on bodily flags and light-weight panels.
Carlos Sainz, Williams
This didn’t forestall confusion out on observe, with the highest-profile instance being Carlos Sainz’ collision with Oscar Piastri popping out of Hamilton nook (Flip 2), which contributed to the McLaren driver shedding the lead of the race to team-mate and eventual winner Lando Norris as he tried to lap the Williams.
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“At this stage, I had no concept I used to be about to get lapped, and on high of that I used to be in a giant combat with Fernando [Alonso], making an attempt to undercut him into the nook,” Sainz defined. “I would not have anticipated Oscar to be there. Even when he was there, or I might have anticipated, he was on my useless spot on the angle, so it was inconceivable, truthfully, from my aspect to keep away from it.
“In all probability a bit higher communication would have helped, however on the similar time, [it is] a racing factor that typically occurs.”
Sainz nonetheless copped a five-second penalty, with stewards viewing the McLaren’s place within the Spaniard’s blind spot – however not the blue-flag state of affairs – as a mitigating issue, therefore why it wasn’t a 10-second penalty.
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An analogous sanction went Oliver Bearman’s approach because the Haas driver didn’t respect blue flags when lapped by Isack Hadjar. The contrite Briton felt it was troublesome to do higher in these tough circumstances.
“I really feel unhealthy in regards to the blue-flag penalty with Hadjar, as a result of truthfully it was a little bit of a nightmare on the market,” he lamented.
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Staff
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Staff
“You undergo principally the infield, you do not have time to test within the mirrors, and principally each lap I did I had blue-flag screens developing. This race, they weren’t working correctly, so it was robust to know if it was you or the automotive behind or the automotive forward or no matter getting the blue flag.
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“Clearly, it wasn’t malicious, I am a lap down, I am not making an attempt to do something unhealthy, however clearly I really feel unhealthy for anybody’s race that I could have compromised.”
Bearman additional defined: “In the beginning of the race, I used to be getting blue flags after six laps, and I assumed, ‘Wow, that is unusual. We’re not that gradual to be lapped in six laps’.
“So from lap six principally till lap 70, there have been some blue flags each single lap, so it was actually robust to know what was actual, what was pretend, what was for me, what wasn’t, as a result of usually you’ve gotten your quantity, this time it was simply the blue. So, like I mentioned, nothing malicious, I needed to actually depend on the group to assist me by means of these blue flags.”
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Further reporting by Ronald Vording and Stuart Codling
Photographs from Hungarian GP – SundayLando Norris, McLaren
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Pictures through Getty Pictures
Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Staff
Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Staff
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Pictures through Getty Pictures
Mohammed ben Sulayem, FIA President, Petr Pavel, President, Czech Republic
Mohammed ben Sulayem, FIA President, Petr Pavel, President, Czech Republic
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Pictures through Getty Pictures
Lando Norris, McLaren
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
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Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing
Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing
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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Pierre Gasly, Alpine
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Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Staff
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Staff
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Lando Norris, McLaren
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
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Drivers’ parade
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Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing
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Lando Norris, McLaren
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Lawrence Stroll, Proprietor, Aston Martin F1 Staff, Gary Gannon, Senior Race Engineer, Aston Martin F1 Staff
Lawrence Stroll, Proprietor, Aston Martin F1 Staff, Gary Gannon, Senior Race Engineer, Aston Martin F1 Staff
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Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing
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Flavio Briatore, Alpine
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Ayao Komatsu, Haas F1 Staff
Ayao Komatsu, Haas F1 Staff
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Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
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Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing
Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing
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Lando Norris, McLaren
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing
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Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Staff; Franco Colapinto, Alpine; Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Staff
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Staff; Franco Colapinto, Alpine; Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Staff
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Nico Hülkenberg, Audi F1 Staff, Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Nico Hülkenberg, Audi F1 Staff, Pierre Gasly, Alpine
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Oscar Piastri, McLaren
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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing
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Alexander Albon, Williams
Alexander Albon, Williams
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Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Staff; Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Staff
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Staff; Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Staff
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Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
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Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Staff; Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Staff
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Staff; Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Staff
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Franco Colapinto, Alpine
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Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Lando Norris, McLaren
Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Lando Norris, McLaren
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Lando Norris, McLaren
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Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing, Lando Norris, McLaren
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing, Lando Norris, McLaren
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Oscar Piastri, McLaren
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Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
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Lando Norris, McLaren
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Lando Norris, McLaren
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Lando Norris, McLaren
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Lando Norris, McLaren
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Lando Norris, McLaren
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Lando Norris, McLaren
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Lando Norris, McLaren
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Lando Norris, McLaren
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing
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Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing, Lando Norris, McLaren
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing, Lando Norris, McLaren
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Lando Norris, McLaren
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Lando Norris, McLaren
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Learn Additionally:
Why Carlos Sainz solely received a five-second penalty for Hungary conflict with Oscar Piastri
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