Racing flags


Racing flags are traditionally used in auto racing and similar motorsports to indicate track conditions and to communicate important messages to drivers. Typically, the starter, sometimes the grand marshal of a race, waves the flags atop a flag stand near the start-finish line. Track marshals are also stationed at observation posts along the race track in order to communicate both local and course-wide conditions to drivers. Alternatively, some race tracks employ lights to supplement the primary flag at the start-finish line.

Summary

While there is no universal system of racing flags across all of motorsports, most series have standardized them, with some flags carrying over between series. For example, the chequered flag is commonly used across all of motorsport to signify the end of a session, while the penalty flags differ from series to series. FIA-sanctioned championship flags are the most commonly used internationally as they cover championships such as Formula 1, the FIA World Endurance Championship and WTCC, and are adopted by many more motorsport governing bodies across the world such as, for example, the MSA.

Status flags

Status flags are used to inform all drivers of the general status of the course during a race. In addition, the green, yellow, and red flags described below may be augmented or replaced by lights at various points around the circuit.

Green flag

The solid green flag is usually displayed by the starter to indicate the start of a race. During a race, it is displayed at the end of a caution period or a temporary delay to indicate that the race is restarting. The waving of a green flag is almost universally supplemented with the illumination of green lights at various intervals around the course, particularly on ovals.
If the race is not under caution or delayed, it is said to be "under green-flag conditions". However, the flag itself is typically not continuously waved by the starter. No flag displayed at the starter's stand implies safe, green-flag conditions. At all times, however, the green lights remain lit.
  • When shown at a marshalling post, a green flag may indicate the end of a local yellow-flag zone.
  • A separate green flag displayed at the entrance to the pit area indicate that the pits are open.
  • In NASCAR, a green and yellow flag waved at the same time indicates that the race is being started or restarted under caution and laps are being counted. This is sometimes called a "running yellow" and usually occurs when a track is drying after a rain delay. The officials will utilize the cars in the field to facilitate the final drying of the course, but in order to not waste fuel, and delay the race further, the laps are counted towards the advertised race distance.
  • In 1980, USAC flagman Duane Sweeney started a tradition at the Indianapolis 500 of waving twin green flags for added visual effect at the start of the race. Green flags waved at restarts were single.
  • Since around the 1990s, some races on occasion invite celebrity guests to wave the green flag at the start of the race.
  • Before the use of starting lights in Formula One and most other FIA sanctioned or associated events, the national flag of the country in which a race is occurring, instead of a green flag, was used to signal its start. This practice is retained on occasion in the event of equipment failure, or simply as a tradition, such as at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
  • In some series, the green flag is waved at the rear of the grid following the formation lap to indicate to the official controlling the race start that the final car has reached its starting position and the race can be started.

    Yellow flag

The solid yellow flag, or caution flag, universally requires drivers to slow down due to a hazard on the track, typically a crash, a stopped car, debris or light rain. However, the procedures for displaying the yellow flag vary for different racing styles and sanctioning bodies.
In Formula One racing, a yellow flag displayed at the starter's stand or a marshal station indicates that there is a hazard "downstream" of the station. The manner of display depends on the location of the hazard:
  • A single waved flag denotes a hazard on the racing surface itself.
  • A single stationary flag denotes a hazard near the racing surface.
  • Two flags waved simultaneously denotes a hazard that wholly or partly blocks the racing surface. This informs the driver that there may be marshals on the track and to prepare to stop, if necessary.
When shown at a station, drivers are forbidden from overtaking until either the hazard or the next flag station displaying a green flag is passed. This flag is shown at the discretion of the marshals manning the station.
File:F1 yellow flag and SC sign.jpg|thumb|left|A yellow flag with SC sign is shown during the 2006 United States Grand Prix
When the safety car is on the circuit, all flag points will display a "safety car board". When flag points are under radio control, this will happen immediately, otherwise, the board is displayed when the safety car comes round for the first time. This is accompanied by a waved yellow flag. Standard yellow flag conditions apply to the whole circuit; notably, overtaking is completely forbidden. When the safety car comes in and the race resumes, a green flag is displayed at the start line, and subsequently at all flag points around the circuit for one lap. Overtaking is not allowed until the cars have passed the start/finish line.
When there are circumstances where double-waved yellow flags are needed yet usage of the safety car is not warranted, then the race will be under a virtual safety car period, during which all flag points will display a "VSC board" and all light panels on track will display the letters VSC surrounded by a flashing yellow border. Under the VSC procedure, all drivers on the track must reduce their speed and stay above a minimum time set by race officials at least once in each marshalling sector. Overtaking is not permitted unless another driver enters the pit lane or if a car slows down due to an obvious problem. When deemed safe to end the VSC procedure, teams are notified via the official messaging system 10 to 15 seconds before green flags are waved.
In some systems, including UK national regulations, if the hazard is secured, the yellow flag may be withdrawn and replaced with a fixed "hazard board".

Full-course yellow

Most races in the FIA World Endurance Championship may be under a full-course yellow period upon discretion of the race director when deemed necessary for safety reasons. Once declared, all flag points will display an "FCY board" and all cars on track must immediately slow down to and maintain their distance to the cars in front and behind. Overtaking is forbidden until green flags are waved.
The FCY procedure was used during the 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans in response to Porsche's dominant GTE-Pro victory in 2018. Partial track "slow zones" are identified by track-side horizontal markings at both beginning and end, and "next slow" boards in the preceding zone. Within the zone, all marshal posts will display double-waved yellow flags and "slow" boards, and all light panels display the letters SZ surrounded by a flashing yellow border. All cars within the zone must slow down to 80 km/h until they are clear of the waved green flag at the end.
In Formula E, the FCY condition is used, but unlike any other racing series, the cars have an FCY speed limiter. When activated, the cars will slow down to. Overtaking under the FCY condition is not allowed, and could result in a penalty. This happened at the 2019 Rome ePrix, when Jean Eric Vergne overtook future Techeetah teammate António Félix da Costa. As a result, Vergne was given a five-second time penalty. For the 2019-20 Formula E season, activating attack mode during FCY was disallowed. Additionally, for every minute under FCY, 1kWh of energy gets taken out of their energy allocation.
In both NASCAR and IndyCar, a single yellow flag waved from the starter's stand places the race under caution. At this time, a pace car will enter the course and lead the field at a safe, predetermined, reduced speed. On oval tracks, yellow lights universally supplement the primary flag at the start-finish line. These lights usually operate in a flashing manner, in order to quickly gain the attention of the drivers. The field is locked into place at the onset of caution periods and no one is allowed to pass another car without mutual consent. In some races, though, cars may pass one another on pit road during a caution period. When the starter shows a furled yellow flag, it indicates one lap to green.
On road course races in IndyCar, a single yellow flag at a marshaling station indicates a "local" yellow, similar to the aforementioned rules in Formula One. In these cases, the pace car does not enter the track, and the caution period is limited only to that particular segment of the track. Green flag racing prevails around the remainder of the course. Twin yellow flags displayed at the starter's stand indicates a "full-course caution", in which the pace car would enter the track and the entire course would be under caution. This might occur for a serious crash or other major hazards. NASCAR has also experimented with "local yellows" on their road course events, although a plain blue flag is used instead.
In the case of snowmobile racing, the yellow flag is displayed at or before the point of the hazard. When a snowmobile racer crosses the yellow flag, the race will continue, however, the skis and track of the snowmobile must remain on the ground.
In snowmobile water cross, the caution flag simply warns the racers that one or more racers have sunk and are in the water, however the race will continue as normal.
In horse racing, the yellow flag means that there is a serious incident ahead, the horses must be pulled up and the race must be declared void. Most yellow flags are seen when a horse has suffered a serious injury.