Skip to main content

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Recommended for you

Guenther Steiner jokes Christian Horner Ferrari talk is good book publicity

Formula 1
Formula 1
Bahrain GP in Malaysia
Guenther Steiner jokes Christian Horner Ferrari talk is good book publicity

Joey Logano down but not out of NASCAR Chase after Kansas flat tire

NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Kansas II
Joey Logano down but not out of NASCAR Chase after Kansas flat tire

Kimi Antonelli has "spooked himself" amid F1 title pressure, says Naomi Schiff

Formula 1
Formula 1
Bahrain GP in Malaysia
Kimi Antonelli has "spooked himself" amid F1 title pressure, says Naomi Schiff

George Russell details F1 drivers' Langkawi boys' trip ahead of Bahrain GP in Malaysia

Formula 1
Formula 1
Bahrain GP in Malaysia
George Russell details F1 drivers' Langkawi boys' trip ahead of Bahrain GP in Malaysia

Porsche and Cadillac fighting on nearly equal terms in Petit Le Mans BoP

IMSA
IMSA
Petit Le Mans
Porsche and Cadillac fighting on nearly equal terms in Petit Le Mans BoP

As Mercedes looks to deal F1 2026 knockout blow, will its driver fight reignite?

Formula 1
Azerbaijan GP
As Mercedes looks to deal F1 2026 knockout blow, will its driver fight reignite?

The most unexpected driver and team breakups in modern NASCAR Cup history

NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
The most unexpected driver and team breakups in modern NASCAR Cup history

F1 pundit says drivers are "complicit" if they stay silent on fan abuse

Formula 1
Formula 1
Azerbaijan GP
F1 pundit says drivers are "complicit" if they stay silent on fan abuse
Breaking news

Raikkonen pushing for change to blue flag rules

Kimi Raikkonen has called for a change to blue flag rules in F1 after he was caught behind traffic following his pitstop in Monaco, where the time lost contributed to Sebastian Vettel beating him.

 Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari SF70H

Under the International Sporting Code, drivers have "to allow the faster driver past at the first available opportunity" after the FIA blue lights in their cockpits are illuminated.

Drivers first get a "pre-warning' at 3.0 seconds, which the FIA says "should be used by the team of the slower car to warn their driver he is soon going to be lapped and that allowing the faster car through should be considered a priority."

Last year, the FIA changed the time gap which then automatically triggers the blue lights, the blue panels trackside and messages on the timing monitors, reducing it from 1.5s to 1.0s.

Typically a penalty can result from a driver failing to move over within 10 marshalling sectors, which represent the gaps between light panels.

While the reduction in time gap worked well in 2016, some drivers have reported that it has become more problematic this season, because of the difficulties inherent in following other cars with the current aero package.

They say that they have to work harder to get within the 1.0s range that obliges the lapped car to move over, and while doing so, they take life out of their tyres.

The subject came up in Friday's drivers' briefing in Montreal, where Raikkonen asked race director Charlie Whiting why the leaders have to race lapped cars.

However, Whiting told the drivers that the time gap won't be changed, reportedly pointing out that drivers don't seem to have any trouble using their tyres when they are racing the car ahead.

Also discussed in the briefing was the question of drivers going very slowly at the approach to the final corner in Montreal as they try to create a gap in front before starting their flying lap.

Carlos Sainz received a reprimand after slowing and not realising that Kevin Magnussen, who was behind, was on a flying lap.

One suggestion was that drivers create their gap earlier, and don't go slowly beyond the DRS line, which is around a third of the way along the preceding straight.

Previous article Ferrari gained advantage from Vettel's role in Pirelli tests - Wolff
Next article Canadian GP: Hamilton flies to pole ahead of Vettel

Top Comments

Latest news