Green: Send it Yellow: Someone sent it too hard, please slow down. Red: Someone sent it WAY too hard and the race must be stopped Blue flag: Someone is sending it harder than you. Black Flag: You sent it in such a way that the Stewards want to have a chat about it. Chequered flag: Your time to send it has come to an end, please return to the pits. Audible flag: "Valterie, it's James.."
I doubt they'll get rid of the actual flags any time soon; they're easily visible for the audience, and drivers really can't miss anything when there's signals everywhere. Plus, redundancy is always good when it comes to safety :)
And 90% of racing cars do not have in car systems. Marshals are trained and ingrained to grab a flag rather than push a button, I know I've forgotten about the light box on several occasions
The most recent black flags are actually Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean. During a practice session at the 2019 Monaco Gp they've lost radio to the team. The team needed them to come in and as this was the only way so, they asked the race director to black flag them.
And probably the only time a team has requested their own drivers to be black flagged. Although in that instance, the black flag with the orange circle would probably be more accurate
@@agdbfoto they would need to do another lap for them to see the pit board but the team wanted them in ASAP. So using the several marshall stands to flag them was much quicker
0:44 - Single Yellow Flag 0:47 - Double Yellow Flag 1:35 - Red Flag 2:12 - Green Flag 2:33 - Blue Flag 3:06 - White Flag 3:25 - Black Flag 4:02 - Black & White Flag 4:24 - Black Flag With Orange Circle 4:39 - Yellow And Red Striped Flag 5:00 - Chequered Flag
I wonder how long we will see flags in F1. While not always easier to see for the drivers, they are better recognizable by viewers on TV than the lights that replace them on many tracks.
I am a marshal. Although light panels are great for visibility, even in bright sunlight, flags come in handy now and then. Sometimes you have to convey multiple messages to the drivers, with combinations of flags that your panel can't show all at once. Also, we can sometimes indicate the severeness of the danger on track by waving a flag more vigorously.
@@ziggyziggyziggy do you think, like one day if flags are removed, having the panels blink faster or in a pattern could replace the way you guys wave flags harder for severity?
@XSatsuriku I thought I didn't know the striped one and the meatball one but when he explained them I realised that I do actually know them, I had just forgot lol. I actually didn't know the white flag tho
Mat, I've been researching the f101s and one of them said you can't copy other teams survival cells. If all the teams made a safe one, there would be less injurys. Can you do an f101 on why?
Because the survival cell, as part of the bodywork, plays an integral role in aerodynamic performance. Under the technical regulations, those parts are supposed to be designed by each team separately. So, what the FIA does is require all safety cells to meet the minimum safety requirements but then let each team design it themselves.
Basically Yellow: Mazepin spun Double Yellow: Max and Lewis hit each other Blue flag: Max or Lewis is behind you Red Flag: Max or Lewis crashed hard Black Flag: Maldonado was being Maldonado Black/Orange Flag: Haas's engine died Orange/Yellow Flag: Haas spilled oil Checkered Flag: Stop racing cuz race is over
"And can be displayed at the end of the pitlane to warn drivers of a faster car on the racing line" Why tf do we not have that in practice and quali on the F1 game? Seriously has anyone else who plays f1 2021 have issues with AI on out/in laps NOT getting out of your way when you're right behind them on a fast lap?
I've been watching motorsports for actual decades now and never realized F1 used the white flag to indicate slow cars or non-racing vehicles ahead. Also interesting to see different flags for things that would all be simple black flags here in the US. I was going to make fun of Americans for being the target audience of this video, but here I am actually learning things. 🤦🏻♂️
As far as I am aware the vast majority of Motorsport employs this. Other than America and karting. Most world-sanctioned categories definitely do white flag for slow car.
Originally, the flag for a slow moving vehicle was white with a thin red "X" cross. The red was deleted when it was determined that the drivers couldn't see it anyway. Should probably add for the sake of completeness that in North American racing, a white flag at the start/finish flagstand indicates last lap of the race. In Indy and NASCAR, a blue flag with yellow diagonal is a general warning that faster traffic is approaching from the rear, but is not a mandatory "move-over", despite what some drivers seem to think. The scheduled end of a practice or qualifying session is indicated by waving black and red flags such that they are alternately visible. Black with a white cross indicates that the driver has not honored a previous black flag and is no longer being scored.
@@formulafish1536 It would have to have been just an American thing. Most of American motorsports is NASCAR which has historically (in the last 35 years) rarely been on road courses, and didn't need to employ the same flagging rules as F1. I never knew the white flag was used for anything BUT a signal of the final lap. Most other things that aren't NASCAR are either paved short tracks or dirt short tracks. The majority of road courses in the USA are only used by IMSA or are club tracks. Though NASCAR has started putting many more road courses on the schedule, including a modified Daytona Road Course and a modified Charlotte Road Course. I think they're up to 6 or 7 road course events this year. a far cry from 2 just 5 years ago (once Riverside was shut down somewhere in the 80s, it was just Sonoma/Sears Point and Watkins Glen, never you mind Sebring, Road America, Road Atlanta, etc. Road America and COTA are the other 2 dedicated road courses NASCAR has added the past 2 years that I can remember). The kart track I go to 100 miles down the road has a backwards rule for the blue flag that I keep trying to get them to change. It means 'spread apart' instead of 'There's a race going on and you aint part of it'. as a faster driver (top 15 of the 300 scored drivers per month, it's probably more than 300 but 300 is a fair number), I generally dismiss the blue flag because i'm usually 1 to 3 seconds per lap faster and I just wanna set faster times to climb the monthly timing chart.
@@morgfarm1 That blue flag rule is convoluted. I don’t understand that at all. I think adding road courses to NASCAR can only be a good thing. Have more of them instead of 2 at the same track in a year, as it gives fans a new and different spectacle every race weekend. Though, NASCAR does need to remain loyal to its heritage as well
I have a couple of things to add 1) Stationary yellow flags aren't in the ISC and so aren't used in F1 or other internationals. A few of the national sanctioning bodies that used to use them don't anymore we used to have them in the UK but the rules were changed to be more in line with the ISC probably 5+ years back now, so if you see one the flaggy is being lazy and it's not a proper signal unless it bikes they're used more with those. 2) The black flag actually doesn't mean that the driver has been disqualified as a driver can not be DQ without having a hearing first the meaning of the black flag tells the driver that they must return to their pit or other area specified in the supplementary regs they will be getting bollocked but not necessary a DQ could be another penalty. 3) One you've missed that many F1 viewers won't be aware of is the national flag rarely used and I reckon probably unlikely to be used in F1 or at least will not be popular with teams, drivers and fans due to the visibility issues in F1 cars but It can be used to start the race if the start lights have failed. 4) Not quite relevant in this video but wanted to add it the ISC was recently updated to say that the checkered should be waved from behind the first line of protection which seems to suggest that they're outlawing the long-standing and also stupid tradition at Le Mans of waving it from on the track.
Green - Send it, the track is clear Yellow - Someone sent it too hard, please slow down Red - Technical difficulties. Please stand by Blue - Someone is sending it harder than you White - Someone isn’t sending it hard enough Black - You sent it so dangerously that you've been DQed Black/White - Send it to someone else, you’re being childish Meatball - You sent it too hard and your car needs repairs Red/Yellow - Be careful sending it Checkered - You’re time to send it is over.
There was also a blue flag with a white X on it. That means this is your last chance to let the faster car behind you through, or you will get a penalty. Not sure if the flag is there anymore. It was there for some time when i saw racing.
The flag system is basically the F1 equivalent of diver wearing good dive watch like a Rolex Deep Sea, or a pilot wearing something like Breitling Navitimer. Once upon a time, a dive watch was essential for divers, when militaries in the 20s and 30s, began to operate frogmen units with proto-scuba gear, they realised how critical it was, and courted all kinds of watch makers for something which could let divers know their durations, likewise, by WWII, it was deemed critical pilots had watch with high visibility and often times additional functionality, and Flieger watches became a big thing, literally, some air forces issued pilots with ones so big they strapped to thigh, rather than the wrist. Yet these days divers doing long dive times, or even saturation work, all wear dive computers, even moderate duration divers mostly do. Pilots have cockpits which are essentially supercomputers, and many still wear a smart watch or keep a smart phone to hand....... .....nevertheless, divers today all still wear a mechanical dive watch, mostly, and many many pilots, especially light aircraft flying private pilots, particularly if back country flying, wear some kind of pilots watch... hell even in the 80s, when the computers had all the information, and planes were moving to much more modern electronics.... Pan Am pilots still all wore mechanical skymasters, even as commercial pilots flying airliners. Why? Mechanical Watches are antiquated technology in the digital age... even people who still wear a watch, the majority are wearing a digital, or quartz, watch, powered by a battery, that is way more accurate than even the greatest mechanical movement can be. Well, because things can fail. A purely physical system, had less than can go wrong, and serves when more complicated ways fail. The watch maker Omega, for example, is very proud of its NASA Silver Snoopy. NASA you see adopted Snoopy, as their safety mascot back in the 60s... and all the astronauts that return from successful missions with NASA, are given a small silver Snoopy pin for their keeping it safe and getting home. When a little spaceship you might have heard of called Apollo 13 had oxygen tank explode half way en route to the moon, they lost a ton of systems... including anything which could be relied on as a chronograph. Fortunately, one of the astronauts was wearing an Omega Speedmaster wrist watch... a chronograph... aka.. stop watch (coincidentally, still a massive popular type of wrist watch at race tracks among pit wall types and in the garage, as it lets them time, and compare to the digital systems). Returning to Earth, they had to burn their engines for EXACTLY six seconds.. for the safe reentry which would bring them home alive, rather than dead, and that watch was the only 'system' they had which was functional.. and it served the purpose. So Omega got a Snoopy too. THAT is why we use flags and boards. The better way you mention, is being used. I am sure everyone has seen the LED signs all over the track, as well as lights which display the colours in effect the same as the flags. But then what happens in a black out? When systems fail? Maybe something central in the mains of the track, or maybe city wide, gives out, and boom.... those lights and electronic signs do not work. Digital communications fail. What then? THAT is why the flags and boards are there. All the Marshals have walkie-talkies, or they are available, with that simple old, almost toy, communication, and those flags and boards, Stewards can control a potentially very high risk, high danger, environment, if the more modern ways, which one might say are significantly better, but also infinitely more complex, fail. Hence their continued presence. We still use them, and will likely still use them going forwards for many decades more, probably always use them. Not because they are the best way to do it, but because they are the most reliable.
Well. The wave flag system allready is complemented with the LED system. These days it is much easier to directly communicate with the drivers, as it should also be possible to light up their MFDs with the respecting flag on track.
@@julianschwertzthewoodlands4161 The yellow/red stripe flag became very rare, but it used to be waved quite a bit in the 90s. I think it is because of the more reliable radio these days so the teams and drivers can communicate, where the slippery part is. same goes probably for the meatball flag, allthough I can't recall that one ever was waved.
When you already know what all the flags mean, but still watch the video anyway.. just bcos it's WTF1. Nice video! Consider making video on Delta Times... " Keep the Delta Positive" 😁
I absolutely love your F1 educational videos!!! I’ve been watching F1 for a couple of years, but there’s sooo much to learn. Could you do one on how races are officiated? Who are the people around the track waving the flags & how do they know when to do so? Who/where are the stewards? How does one qualify to be/become a steward? What is the stewards relationship with the director? So many questions!!! With the current FIA investigation, this would be great to understand better before the results come out!
2018 - 2019 was a weird time for the chequered flag. After Winnie Harlow waved the chequered flag a lap early at Montreal in 2018, the sporting regulations were changed for 2019 for the end-of-session signal to be the chequered flag displayed on the start gantry lightboard, possibly to prevent eager celebrities from ending the race too early. And then the aforementioned incident happened with the flag being displayed a lap early at Suzuka that year, which caused them to change it back to the physical waved chequered flag. And a black flag for car 69? Not nice.
I think the current setup of having both flaggers and the warning lights is the best format for informing the drivers and fans of what's happening. I don't see any reason to change that format at this point in time.
Short form: Yellow: slow down Double Yellow: Slow the f-word down! Red: lol race over Green: Send it! Blue: TU TU TU TU Max is behind you! White: Alpine ahead Black: F-word ing go in the pits! Black and white: Mate watch you‘re car. Meatball: Oi mate wheres the other half of you‘re car? Yellow and red: There‘s Nick Debris on the track. Checkerd: The end
At a lot of tracks they have lights and people constantly talking in driver's ears to indicate what's going on but the flags are just there for extra guidance
4:39 False information!!! Yellow and Red flag tells drivers that mom brought McDonalds for the whole gang and they must return to pit lane and eat nuggies so they don't starve to death.
as a North American racing fan, It is always weird seeing the white flag not being used for Last Lap. To me, White flag means giddy up, get that last spot cause it is almost over.
While seeing flags isn't always the easiest I don't think there are better ways of using signals outside of dedicated screens showing something like that. Flags are big and bright and very visible. There is a reason there was a system of code based around flags called semiphore. It may not be the best but I dare you to find a more visible signal around 300kph
On the grounds that technical glitches happen, and occasionally steering wheels don't display what is necessary, to remove the actual flag would be potentially dangerous. Also the flags are easier for spectators to see than the lights; you'd have to be in a narrow range of positions to see the "electronic flags" properly, and even then, in very bright sunlight you might not see them (basing this on traffic lights which are designed to be seen in such conditions but still there are times when they're not clear, even though as a driver, you're face onto them). The most important thing is that the lights and flags match, and if they don't, drivers must be told which one is the one they are to pay attention to. Given that most drivers, even now, will have done most of their racing careers with physical flags, they're the ones they're most likely to see more readily, except in bad visual conditions, when the bright LEDs are likely to be easier to see. Some crossover alert between flag and light taking precedence should be agreed on (if they decide that the flags take precedence under normal circumstances). This way, there will be even fewer times when the two warning systems are in operation. Just because they don't often disagree doesn't mean that a contingency plan for this situation shouldn't be in place. You can't be too safe, IMHO, especially as some of the flags are for situations which could cause problems for marshalls and spectators as well as the drivers.
I'm a marshal, this is 100% why we still use flags. In a worst-case scenario if the trackside lights and and dash lights both fail, nothing's gonna stop a big chunk of fabric
Also noted, (in nz, maybe elsewhere too) if race is under safety car, marshals can use their 2nd yellow flag to warn everyone else that the incident is in that area of the track, and to be careful.
3:14 Actually for miscellaneous vehicles, such as the medical car, rescue cars, ambulance etc. since not that long they use a white flag in combination with the yellow flag. This is to emphasis that this is not a regular slow moving race car up ahead.
Not strictly speaking true but the white flag would be displayed with the yellow or a red anyway as the session would be neutralised by at least a SC or VSC before any intervention vehicle is allowed to enter the track so it's not to indicate that it's an intervention vehicle rather than a competitors car.
I've also been told to show blue flags to the slow-moving vehicle when they're in the previous sector, in addition to showing whites once they're past the FP. Not sure if that's just an Aus thing though
@@AstonCulf I've had conversations about that with other marshals here in the UK it's not routinely done but some flag marshals have done when they feel it's needed, a hint to the driver to check their mirrors when they're looking to find somewhere to pull up is useful and can improve safety which is what matters. Think I've also been on a post thats blue flagged a medical car before too as cars behind them were still coming through quicker than they should under reds.
@@tgm9991 maybe not strictly true for F1 indeed, but on Zandvoort we show them as I told. Sometimes the rescue cars are on track when it’s green and then this is how we indicate them (followed by a green at the next post off course). We were told that were the official FIA rules, we started using it after Zandvoort became a grade 1 circuit.
You learn something new everyday. I thought I knew the safety car procedure when an incident occurs and how the race will restart..... but clearly not 🤷♂️🤦♂️
A white flag also used to mean "last lap". Even at my local karting track they have started to use a "last lap" board instead, not to sure why though...
Good knowledge. 👍 The "last lap" white flag tends to be a North American thing, whereas the European based FIA don't recognise it. The MSA (the British governing body) seem to use "last lap" boards. Off topic: similarly some governing bodies use a purple "Code 80" flag as opposed to a VSC board, which essentially means the same thing. I believe (I may be wrong, so don't quote me 😁) the "80" means an 80km/h speed restriction. Hope this helps.
@@ToxoRetro It's code 60, not 80 it's purple flag with the number 60 written on it and is a 60kph speed limit as opposed to the variable speed limit that the VSC is, FCY is also used in some series which means pretty much the same as the others but slow to the speed limit that's written in the supplementary regs.
Code 60, sorry - I've only seen it once a few years ago. My bad. Cheers@@tgm9991 I've not seen a FCY. I'd image it would be easier for the stewards and teams to monitor a max speed limit as opposed to a 75% lap delta, let alone explain to new/casual viewers/spectators.
ah, I'm Canadian and we usually follow suit with ol' Britannia - I guess we're going European! (The last lap board showed up about 2 years ago for me...)
i ve actually heard that the 3 blue flags arent officially a rule, a driver can be punished after 2 or 4 as well, 3 is just a reference point most of the time
The international sporting code says that they should let the cars past at the earliest opportunity and I don't think the F1 sporting regs mentions blue flags at all so yes no mention of a number of flags at all but 3 is when they usually start to enforce it unless it's clear they're just plain taking the piss.
Surely racing control can override team radio comms to tell them of a danger or to stop the race so all drivers get made aware at the same time? just a 5 second pre-recorded "yellow flag, there is debris on the track at turn 5, slow down for virtual safety car" kinda thing? then they can resume comms as normal to the team radios. just a thought.
I think we should scrap the flags, and the drivers just get told either over the radio or on the screen on their steering wheel so they can focus more on driving than looking out for flags. The flags system was made before team radio, but now we have radio there's no point in having this system which is easily not seen by the driver.
Blue does not necessarily mean you are being lapped, simply that a faster car is approaching. In reality this is often when being lapped but not necessarily. F1 is one of the few elite series where the blue is instructional and a driver can be sanctioned for ignoring it - it is advisory in most UK series with no penalty for ignoring it alone. The surface flag (stripey red and yellow) is not waved conventionally as to a driver it would not be clear, and could be seen as red or yellow instead. It can be stretched and ‘rocked’ for emphasis though.
Massa and Fisi were the last two black flags shown in a race. In FP1 of Monaco 2017, Grosjean & Magnussen were out on track, Haas tried to call them in, but couldn't due to radio issues. Haas then asked the FiA to black flag both cars to make them return to the pits.
Green: Send it
Yellow: Someone sent it too hard, please slow down.
Red: Someone sent it WAY too hard and the race must be stopped
Blue flag: Someone is sending it harder than you.
Black Flag: You sent it in such a way that the Stewards want to have a chat about it.
Chequered flag: Your time to send it has come to an end, please return to the pits.
Audible flag: "Valterie, it's James.."
Meatball flag: maybe don't send it anymore for the race
its much easier to understand lol ... nd wtf valteri its james doing here XD
this deserves more likes
I literally lol'ed. Well done, good sir.
White Flag: A Haas entered the track
I doubt they'll get rid of the actual flags any time soon; they're easily visible for the audience, and drivers really can't miss anything when there's signals everywhere. Plus, redundancy is always good when it comes to safety :)
The electric automobiles movement will get rid of the regular flags. Tradition is a thing of the past. Look at Lewis Hamilton during the safety car!
And 90% of racing cars do not have in car systems. Marshals are trained and ingrained to grab a flag rather than push a button, I know I've forgotten about the light box on several occasions
@@workspilot. wtf are you takin about
@@QRT_Ryan ha That's funny
But yeah As a Christian
Please Preaching is not the answer
@@workspilot.?
I dont get what you're saying
But what i can get is wrong
Traditional stuff takes alot to go away
The most recent black flags are actually Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean. During a practice session at the 2019 Monaco Gp they've lost radio to the team. The team needed them to come in and as this was the only way so, they asked the race director to black flag them.
Interesting as a new f1 fan
And probably the only time a team has requested their own drivers to be black flagged. Although in that instance, the black flag with the orange circle would probably be more accurate
why not just use the pitboard?
@@agdbfoto they would need to do another lap for them to see the pit board but the team wanted them in ASAP. So using the several marshall stands to flag them was much quicker
no vettel
0:44 - Single Yellow Flag
0:47 - Double Yellow Flag
1:35 - Red Flag
2:12 - Green Flag
2:33 - Blue Flag
3:06 - White Flag
3:25 - Black Flag
4:02 - Black & White Flag
4:24 - Black Flag With Orange Circle
4:39 - Yellow And Red Striped Flag
5:00 - Chequered Flag
Gj but you forgot the white flag
Thanks
@@bjkkkoo oh yeah I added it now haha
you are an angel
thanks
I wonder how long we will see flags in F1. While not always easier to see for the drivers, they are better recognizable by viewers on TV than the lights that replace them on many tracks.
The team from pits tell drivers about flags immediately
The drivers can see on their steering wheel if a flag is shown in the marshalling sector their in.
I am a marshal. Although light panels are great for visibility, even in bright sunlight, flags come in handy now and then. Sometimes you have to convey multiple messages to the drivers, with combinations of flags that your panel can't show all at once. Also, we can sometimes indicate the severeness of the danger on track by waving a flag more vigorously.
They will always be around one way or another, if they stop waving fabric, I bet they will still be called flags
@@ziggyziggyziggy do you think, like one day if flags are removed, having the panels blink faster or in a pattern could replace the way you guys wave flags harder for severity?
Yellow flag : Slow down
Green Flag: start racing
Black flag : disqualified
Red flag : Charles Leclerc on Pole
Stole my comment lol
Thanks Matt, I'm sure proper F1 fans know all of these, but for someone like me who's just starting to see F1, this is really helpful
Been watching F1 for over a decade, didnt know the meatball one :D
@@XSatsuriku that's fair because it isn't seen very often
@XSatsuriku I thought I didn't know the striped one and the meatball one but when he explained them I realised that I do actually know them, I had just forgot lol. I actually didn't know the white flag tho
I’m loving the 2022 animated cars. So good
Yes, the animations also improved a lot
@@alunesh12345 this is not a church
@@Paytonpritchard1 *sniff*
Mat, I've been researching the f101s and one of them said you can't copy other teams survival cells. If all the teams made a safe one, there would be less injurys. Can you do an f101 on why?
Because the survival cell, as part of the bodywork, plays an integral role in aerodynamic performance. Under the technical regulations, those parts are supposed to be designed by each team separately. So, what the FIA does is require all safety cells to meet the minimum safety requirements but then let each team design it themselves.
All teams do have a safe one though.
@@alunesh12345 God loves unconditionally as long as I believe in jesus and christian values right?
@@Mercilessonion That, and/or Max Verstappen.
Interesting!
Basically
Yellow: Mazepin spun
Double Yellow: Max and Lewis hit each other
Blue flag: Max or Lewis is behind you
Red Flag: Max or Lewis crashed hard
Black Flag: Maldonado was being Maldonado
Black/Orange Flag: Haas's engine died
Orange/Yellow Flag: Haas spilled oil
Checkered Flag: Stop racing cuz race is over
I'm new in f1 got into it at the end of the 2021 season so thanks for the video. I'm loving your channel.
It might just be me , but I’m really glad that they’ve started to use more red flags , it just feels a lot safe and means more racing (normally)
How does it mean more racing?
@@tmcoady less laps under SC and or VSC
It would be cool to have a video on how rolling restarts work and some notably good ones or bad ones throughout F1.
Red flag means leclerc on pole
Love that you have intergrated models of the f1 2022 car in the animation.
Can you don't
"And can be displayed at the end of the pitlane to warn drivers of a faster car on the racing line"
Why tf do we not have that in practice and quali on the F1 game? Seriously has anyone else who plays f1 2021 have issues with AI on out/in laps NOT getting out of your way when you're right behind them on a fast lap?
yeah
Maybe your fast lap isn't as fast as it seems
I've been watching motorsports for actual decades now and never realized F1 used the white flag to indicate slow cars or non-racing vehicles ahead. Also interesting to see different flags for things that would all be simple black flags here in the US.
I was going to make fun of Americans for being the target audience of this video, but here I am actually learning things. 🤦🏻♂️
As far as I am aware the vast majority of Motorsport employs this. Other than America and karting. Most world-sanctioned categories definitely do white flag for slow car.
Yup. White flag meaning final lap is mostly an American thing. I also think they use it in endurance/timed races when the final lap isn't clear.
Originally, the flag for a slow moving vehicle was white with a thin red "X" cross. The red was deleted when it was determined that the drivers couldn't see it anyway.
Should probably add for the sake of completeness that in North American racing, a white flag at the start/finish flagstand indicates last lap of the race. In Indy and NASCAR, a blue flag with yellow diagonal is a general warning that faster traffic is approaching from the rear, but is not a mandatory "move-over", despite what some drivers seem to think. The scheduled end of a practice or qualifying session is indicated by waving black and red flags such that they are alternately visible. Black with a white cross indicates that the driver has not honored a previous black flag and is no longer being scored.
@@formulafish1536 It would have to have been just an American thing. Most of American motorsports is NASCAR which has historically (in the last 35 years) rarely been on road courses, and didn't need to employ the same flagging rules as F1. I never knew the white flag was used for anything BUT a signal of the final lap. Most other things that aren't NASCAR are either paved short tracks or dirt short tracks. The majority of road courses in the USA are only used by IMSA or are club tracks. Though NASCAR has started putting many more road courses on the schedule, including a modified Daytona Road Course and a modified Charlotte Road Course. I think they're up to 6 or 7 road course events this year. a far cry from 2 just 5 years ago (once Riverside was shut down somewhere in the 80s, it was just Sonoma/Sears Point and Watkins Glen, never you mind Sebring, Road America, Road Atlanta, etc. Road America and COTA are the other 2 dedicated road courses NASCAR has added the past 2 years that I can remember).
The kart track I go to 100 miles down the road has a backwards rule for the blue flag that I keep trying to get them to change. It means 'spread apart' instead of 'There's a race going on and you aint part of it'. as a faster driver (top 15 of the 300 scored drivers per month, it's probably more than 300 but 300 is a fair number), I generally dismiss the blue flag because i'm usually 1 to 3 seconds per lap faster and I just wanna set faster times to climb the monthly timing chart.
@@morgfarm1 That blue flag rule is convoluted. I don’t understand that at all.
I think adding road courses to NASCAR can only be a good thing. Have more of them instead of 2 at the same track in a year, as it gives fans a new and different spectacle every race weekend.
Though, NASCAR does need to remain loyal to its heritage as well
i've been looking all over for what flag they use if they abandon the race while it's ongoing
Thank you Matt! I legitametly only knew red, blue, yellow and black flags before this….
I have a couple of things to add
1) Stationary yellow flags aren't in the ISC and so aren't used in F1 or other internationals. A few of the national sanctioning bodies that used to use them don't anymore we used to have them in the UK but the rules were changed to be more in line with the ISC probably 5+ years back now, so if you see one the flaggy is being lazy and it's not a proper signal unless it bikes they're used more with those.
2) The black flag actually doesn't mean that the driver has been disqualified as a driver can not be DQ without having a hearing first the meaning of the black flag tells the driver that they must return to their pit or other area specified in the supplementary regs they will be getting bollocked but not necessary a DQ could be another penalty.
3) One you've missed that many F1 viewers won't be aware of is the national flag rarely used and I reckon probably unlikely to be used in F1 or at least will not be popular with teams, drivers and fans due to the visibility issues in F1 cars but It can be used to start the race if the start lights have failed.
4) Not quite relevant in this video but wanted to add it the ISC was recently updated to say that the checkered should be waved from behind the first line of protection which seems to suggest that they're outlawing the long-standing and also stupid tradition at Le Mans of waving it from on the track.
Chequered flag was also waved a lap or two earlier at 2018 Austin GP and Kimi of course was brilliant in radio
0:32 that Palpatine was so random lmao, you cured my depression for a few seconds so thanks for that
Green - Send it, the track is clear
Yellow - Someone sent it too hard, please slow down
Red - Technical difficulties. Please stand by
Blue - Someone is sending it harder than you
White - Someone isn’t sending it hard enough
Black - You sent it so dangerously that you've been DQed
Black/White - Send it to someone else, you’re being childish
Meatball - You sent it too hard and your car needs repairs
Red/Yellow - Be careful sending it
Checkered - You’re time to send it is over.
For anyone getting into a motorsport course, this is a pretty useful video. Thank you for making this!
White Flag also means indicate Leading car on Final Lap in American Racing. Such as Indycar and Nascar.
I challenge Matt to NOT end the next video with "there you have it".
I realised mid way through the vid that he has changed the car icons to suit the 2022 cars....daaamn
Well i thought i might never see the black with the orange circle flag but it appeared on tsunoda in baku
This is a useful guide to newcomers!! And way more easier than trying to explain them by myself! Thank you!
Exactly. Send a link and save a lot of time.
There was also a blue flag with a white X on it. That means this is your last chance to let the faster car behind you through, or you will get a penalty. Not sure if the flag is there anymore. It was there for some time when i saw racing.
Big ups to using the 2022 car models for this. Love that level of detail.
The flag system is basically the F1 equivalent of diver wearing good dive watch like a Rolex Deep Sea, or a pilot wearing something like Breitling Navitimer.
Once upon a time, a dive watch was essential for divers, when militaries in the 20s and 30s, began to operate frogmen units with proto-scuba gear, they realised how critical it was, and courted all kinds of watch makers for something which could let divers know their durations, likewise, by WWII, it was deemed critical pilots had watch with high visibility and often times additional functionality, and Flieger watches became a big thing, literally, some air forces issued pilots with ones so big they strapped to thigh, rather than the wrist.
Yet these days divers doing long dive times, or even saturation work, all wear dive computers, even moderate duration divers mostly do. Pilots have cockpits which are essentially supercomputers, and many still wear a smart watch or keep a smart phone to hand.......
.....nevertheless, divers today all still wear a mechanical dive watch, mostly, and many many pilots, especially light aircraft flying private pilots, particularly if back country flying, wear some kind of pilots watch... hell even in the 80s, when the computers had all the information, and planes were moving to much more modern electronics.... Pan Am pilots still all wore mechanical skymasters, even as commercial pilots flying airliners.
Why? Mechanical Watches are antiquated technology in the digital age... even people who still wear a watch, the majority are wearing a digital, or quartz, watch, powered by a battery, that is way more accurate than even the greatest mechanical movement can be.
Well, because things can fail.
A purely physical system, had less than can go wrong, and serves when more complicated ways fail.
The watch maker Omega, for example, is very proud of its NASA Silver Snoopy. NASA you see adopted Snoopy, as their safety mascot back in the 60s... and all the astronauts that return from successful missions with NASA, are given a small silver Snoopy pin for their keeping it safe and getting home.
When a little spaceship you might have heard of called Apollo 13 had oxygen tank explode half way en route to the moon, they lost a ton of systems... including anything which could be relied on as a chronograph. Fortunately, one of the astronauts was wearing an Omega Speedmaster wrist watch... a chronograph... aka.. stop watch (coincidentally, still a massive popular type of wrist watch at race tracks among pit wall types and in the garage, as it lets them time, and compare to the digital systems). Returning to Earth, they had to burn their engines for EXACTLY six seconds.. for the safe reentry which would bring them home alive, rather than dead, and that watch was the only 'system' they had which was functional.. and it served the purpose. So Omega got a Snoopy too.
THAT is why we use flags and boards.
The better way you mention, is being used. I am sure everyone has seen the LED signs all over the track, as well as lights which display the colours in effect the same as the flags.
But then what happens in a black out? When systems fail? Maybe something central in the mains of the track, or maybe city wide, gives out, and boom.... those lights and electronic signs do not work. Digital communications fail. What then?
THAT is why the flags and boards are there. All the Marshals have walkie-talkies, or they are available, with that simple old, almost toy, communication, and those flags and boards, Stewards can control a potentially very high risk, high danger, environment, if the more modern ways, which one might say are significantly better, but also infinitely more complex, fail.
Hence their continued presence. We still use them, and will likely still use them going forwards for many decades more, probably always use them. Not because they are the best way to do it, but because they are the most reliable.
Damn that is an essay I read
Whoever doesn't read this comment, just like it anyway so more people see it, it's correct in every way and has some really good info
Great content thank you for all the hard work.
Can you do a video on all the red flag incidents in the 2021 season.
I’ve already had the knowledge about all the flags but Matt slipped in some extra uses for some of them
Thank Matt!
These F1 2022 cars look sick! 🔥
Matt out there making content for us even though there's no grand prix's yet, what a mad lad
Well. The wave flag system allready is complemented with the LED system. These days it is much easier to directly communicate with the drivers, as it should also be possible to light up their MFDs with the respecting flag on track.
Been watching since 2010 and never knew about the meatball flag. Don't think I've ever noticed the yellow/red stripe flag either.
@@julianschwertzthewoodlands4161 The yellow/red stripe flag became very rare, but it used to be waved quite a bit in the 90s. I think it is because of the more reliable radio these days so the teams and drivers can communicate, where the slippery part is.
same goes probably for the meatball flag, allthough I can't recall that one ever was waved.
3:33 nice
04:25 respect the meatball
🫡🫡🫡🫡🫡🫡🫡🫡🫡🫡🫡🫡🫡🫡🫡
When you already know what all the flags mean, but still watch the video anyway.. just bcos it's WTF1. Nice video!
Consider making video on Delta Times... " Keep the Delta Positive" 😁
0:37
Nice, already 2022 cars
I’m hyped for the new season 👍
Great work on the new cars, they look amazing!
I wanted this video from you years now
3:28 *receive
I absolutely love your F1 educational videos!!! I’ve been watching F1 for a couple of years, but there’s sooo much to learn. Could you do one on how races are officiated? Who are the people around the track waving the flags & how do they know when to do so? Who/where are the stewards? How does one qualify to be/become a steward? What is the stewards relationship with the director? So many questions!!! With the current FIA investigation, this would be great to understand better before the results come out!
Don't ask Mazepin that question. He has no clue.
2018 - 2019 was a weird time for the chequered flag.
After Winnie Harlow waved the chequered flag a lap early at Montreal in 2018, the sporting regulations were changed for 2019 for the end-of-session signal to be the chequered flag displayed on the start gantry lightboard, possibly to prevent eager celebrities from ending the race too early.
And then the aforementioned incident happened with the flag being displayed a lap early at Suzuka that year, which caused them to change it back to the physical waved chequered flag.
And a black flag for car 69? Not nice.
Probably worth mentioning that these days the circuits also have coloured lights and the drivers have them on their steering wheels as well.
Old vid but you forgot one, not common but in the case of a start light failure the national flag of the circuit will be waved to signal the start.
The only reason for me to know red and yellow striped flag is F1 2006 game
1:40 Well it started in 2020 but 2021 was the most
Honestly, I knew most of them but it is always nice to learn the specific of the least frequent ones.
1:57
"Nikita Mazepin fell out of the world."
The white flag caught me out because in NASCAR and Indycar, it signals 1 lap to go... 😅
Its weird seeing the 2022 car at WTF1 video
Flags will probably always be used. They are a simple, non-electronic device that can serve as a backup should all other means fail.
I know the white flag, its used by the french all the time
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
LOL
Got em
Oh my god
😂
I think the current setup of having both flaggers and the warning lights is the best format for informing the drivers and fans of what's happening. I don't see any reason to change that format at this point in time.
I'm glad you made a 6 minute video, and not a 30 minute one as most TH-camrs do
Short form:
Yellow: slow down
Double Yellow: Slow the f-word down!
Red: lol race over
Green: Send it!
Blue: TU TU TU TU Max is behind you!
White: Alpine ahead
Black: F-word ing go in the pits!
Black and white: Mate watch you‘re car.
Meatball: Oi mate wheres the other half of you‘re car?
Yellow and red: There‘s Nick Debris on the track.
Checkerd: The end
At a lot of tracks they have lights and people constantly talking in driver's ears to indicate what's going on but the flags are just there for extra guidance
2:54 that's a serie A game
Milan vs Lecce.
Lol
" Ocon needs to know the flags " Horner,2018
Fun with flags f1 episode
Romain grosjean in Silverstone 2018 also got black flagged I think
4:39 False information!!! Yellow and Red flag tells drivers that mom brought McDonalds for the whole gang and they must return to pit lane and eat nuggies so they don't starve to death.
"Do you really know your flags"
First statement - Yellow flag is most common. Blue flag is truly the most common
Thanks for this. I am used to the white flag from NASCAR which means "One lap to go". I wasn't ready for the different usage in F1.
as a North American racing fan, It is always weird seeing the white flag not being used for Last Lap. To me, White flag means giddy up, get that last spot cause it is almost over.
Sheldon cooper likes this flag episode 😄
Prime off-season content. Keep it up
The yellow and red flag means that the stewards are from Catalonia
While seeing flags isn't always the easiest I don't think there are better ways of using signals outside of dedicated screens showing something like that. Flags are big and bright and very visible. There is a reason there was a system of code based around flags called semiphore. It may not be the best but I dare you to find a more visible signal around 300kph
Blue flag is wrong. It’s not just for cars that are a lap down, it’s just for slow cars to warn them of fast cars behind
On the grounds that technical glitches happen, and occasionally steering wheels don't display what is necessary, to remove the actual flag would be potentially dangerous. Also the flags are easier for spectators to see than the lights; you'd have to be in a narrow range of positions to see the "electronic flags" properly, and even then, in very bright sunlight you might not see them (basing this on traffic lights which are designed to be seen in such conditions but still there are times when they're not clear, even though as a driver, you're face onto them).
The most important thing is that the lights and flags match, and if they don't, drivers must be told which one is the one they are to pay attention to. Given that most drivers, even now, will have done most of their racing careers with physical flags, they're the ones they're most likely to see more readily, except in bad visual conditions, when the bright LEDs are likely to be easier to see. Some crossover alert between flag and light taking precedence should be agreed on (if they decide that the flags take precedence under normal circumstances). This way, there will be even fewer times when the two warning systems are in operation. Just because they don't often disagree doesn't mean that a contingency plan for this situation shouldn't be in place.
You can't be too safe, IMHO, especially as some of the flags are for situations which could cause problems for marshalls and spectators as well as the drivers.
I'm a marshal, this is 100% why we still use flags. In a worst-case scenario if the trackside lights and and dash lights both fail, nothing's gonna stop a big chunk of fabric
Also noted, (in nz, maybe elsewhere too) if race is under safety car, marshals can use their 2nd yellow flag to warn everyone else that the incident is in that area of the track, and to be careful.
3:01 that’s not what the pit lane looks like tho
3:14 Actually for miscellaneous vehicles, such as the medical car, rescue cars, ambulance etc. since not that long they use a white flag in combination with the yellow flag. This is to emphasis that this is not a regular slow moving race car up ahead.
Not strictly speaking true but the white flag would be displayed with the yellow or a red anyway as the session would be neutralised by at least a SC or VSC before any intervention vehicle is allowed to enter the track so it's not to indicate that it's an intervention vehicle rather than a competitors car.
I've also been told to show blue flags to the slow-moving vehicle when they're in the previous sector, in addition to showing whites once they're past the FP. Not sure if that's just an Aus thing though
@@AstonCulf I've had conversations about that with other marshals here in the UK it's not routinely done but some flag marshals have done when they feel it's needed, a hint to the driver to check their mirrors when they're looking to find somewhere to pull up is useful and can improve safety which is what matters. Think I've also been on a post thats blue flagged a medical car before too as cars behind them were still coming through quicker than they should under reds.
@@tgm9991 maybe not strictly true for F1 indeed, but on Zandvoort we show them as I told. Sometimes the rescue cars are on track when it’s green and then this is how we indicate them (followed by a green at the next post off course). We were told that were the official FIA rules, we started using it after Zandvoort became a grade 1 circuit.
You learn something new everyday. I thought I knew the safety car procedure when an incident occurs and how the race will restart..... but clearly not 🤷♂️🤦♂️
I feel the screens are safer for drivers bc there’s no delay but I believe they will run them together for formalities sake
First WTF1 cars for presentation that are the 2022 ones.Very cool matt
They should add a polka dot flag to tell drivers the FIA is being clowns and changing the rules mid race.
A white flag also used to mean "last lap". Even at my local karting track they have started to use a "last lap" board instead, not to sure why though...
Good knowledge. 👍 The "last lap" white flag tends to be a North American thing, whereas the European based FIA don't recognise it. The MSA (the British governing body) seem to use "last lap" boards.
Off topic: similarly some governing bodies use a purple "Code 80" flag as opposed to a VSC board, which essentially means the same thing. I believe (I may be wrong, so don't quote me 😁) the "80" means an 80km/h speed restriction.
Hope this helps.
It's a US thing not used in F1 or other civilized motor sports
@@ToxoRetro It's code 60, not 80 it's purple flag with the number 60 written on it and is a 60kph speed limit as opposed to the variable speed limit that the VSC is, FCY is also used in some series which means pretty much the same as the others but slow to the speed limit that's written in the supplementary regs.
Code 60, sorry - I've only seen it once a few years ago. My bad.
Cheers@@tgm9991 I've not seen a FCY. I'd image it would be easier for the stewards and teams to monitor a max speed limit as opposed to a 75% lap delta, let alone explain to new/casual viewers/spectators.
ah, I'm Canadian and we usually follow suit with ol' Britannia - I guess we're going European! (The last lap board showed up about 2 years ago for me...)
i ve actually heard that the 3 blue flags arent officially a rule, a driver can be punished after 2 or 4 as well, 3 is just a reference point most of the time
The international sporting code says that they should let the cars past at the earliest opportunity and I don't think the F1 sporting regs mentions blue flags at all so yes no mention of a number of flags at all but 3 is when they usually start to enforce it unless it's clear they're just plain taking the piss.
Guys amazing work over these past years and i gotta say, i love the new "22 car design
Love how you use 69 as the number :)
Nice
Nice
ceiN
Blue flag = Get out of the god damn way Mazerpin!!!
Yellow flag = Learn to drive Mazespin!
Surely racing control can override team radio comms to tell them of a danger or to stop the race so all drivers get made aware at the same time? just a 5 second pre-recorded "yellow flag, there is debris on the track at turn 5, slow down for virtual safety car" kinda thing? then they can resume comms as normal to the team radios. just a thought.
Okay but why did I laugh so hard at Palpatine being on the circuit tho
I particularly enjoyed the graphics for the under fives such as the lemon waving or the american footballer rocking a football. GIVE ME STRENGTH‼
Man it made me feel old when you said that 2007 was 15 years ago :(
FIA: black flag, black flag,
Toto: NO MIKEY NO NO MIKEY THAT WAS SO NOT RIGHT
I think we should scrap the flags, and the drivers just get told either over the radio or on the screen on their steering wheel so they can focus more on driving than looking out for flags. The flags system was made before team radio, but now we have radio there's no point in having this system which is easily not seen by the driver.
Maybe spend a weekend with UK marshals.
Really get to know what we really get up to and what happens behind the scenes 😉 🏁 🇬🇧
No way you predicted the grounhogs
F1 should do like in wec, each driver has a little screen, if it's yellow = yellow flag. Then it would be easier to see
Blue does not necessarily mean you are being lapped, simply that a faster car is approaching. In reality this is often when being lapped but not necessarily. F1 is one of the few elite series where the blue is instructional and a driver can be sanctioned for ignoring it - it is advisory in most UK series with no penalty for ignoring it alone.
The surface flag (stripey red and yellow) is not waved conventionally as to a driver it would not be clear, and could be seen as red or yellow instead. It can be stretched and ‘rocked’ for emphasis though.
in american racing series, the white flag usually indicates the final lap of the race. So that varies from european racing
Massa and Fisi were the last two black flags shown in a race. In FP1 of Monaco 2017, Grosjean & Magnussen were out on track, Haas tried to call them in, but couldn't due to radio issues. Haas then asked the FiA to black flag both cars to make them return to the pits.
Meanwhile nascar loves red flags even more and there’s only one kinda yellow. Also white flag is final lap
White flag as one to go is generally a more american
@@Lcngopher fair enough