Red flagĪ red flag is shown to signal that the session has been suspended, at which point drivers must significantly reduce their speed and return to the pit lane. If a driver is on a ‘meaningful lap’ during practice or qualifying, then they must show that they have not attempted to complete that time at the pace which they intended. If it is a single yellow flag, then as described in the FIA Sporting Code, drivers should ‘reduce your speed, do not overtake, and be prepared to change direction’ as ‘there is a hazard beside or partly on the track’.Ī driver risks being punished if they can not prove that they passed the area where the yellow flag is being waved at a reduced speed.īut a pair of yellow flags being waved means ‘reduce your speed significantly, do not overtake, and be prepared to change direction or stop’ because ‘there is a hazard wholly or partly blocking the track and/or marshals working on or beside the track’. The yellow flag is used to warn drivers of a hazard on or close to the track, but the meaning actually differs depending on whether one or two yellows flags are waved. It is not always easy to figure out what each different flag means, especially since some are more common than others, so we have put together this guide to help you recognise the different Formula 1 flags and what they are signalling. When Formula 1 drivers are out on track and in the heat of battle, the visual aid of a flag is vital, its design making a situation clear, whether it be making an order to a driver, giving a warning of a hazard, letting them know the condition of the track or informing of the status of the session which they are competing in. Formula 1 has a range of different flags which may appear during competition, all carrying their own specific meaning.

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