It can be frustrating for fans, but the red flag serves a crucial purpose in F1. With cars that travel at over 200 mph, safety is of utmost importance. It can be necessary to stop the race and order the cars back to the pit lane. But you may wonder if teams can repair the car during a red flag.
F1 teams are allowed to repair their cars during red flags. This rule has been controversial, but it does help drivers to get back into the race if their car has been damaged. They can also change their tires and make small setup changes, which can help them adjust to changing track conditions.
Below we will explore this controversial rule and some of the drivers who have benefited from it over the years. Many drivers don’t like the rule, but there is some good to having it in place, and below we take a closer look at the rules that surround the red flag in Formula 1.
The Red Flag In F1 Explained
The red flag is used to stop any Formula 1 session. Once the marshals wave the red flag drivers must slow down and return to the pits immediately. Drivers have to drive back to the pit lane in a slow and controlled manner to ensure that they do not endanger the lives of other drivers and marshals around the track.
There are a few different scenarios that can bring the red flag out in Formula 1. The first, and most obvious, is if there has been a big crash. If the damaged and stricken car is close to the track or obstructing the track, the red flag will be brought out to ensure that marshals can safely clear the circuit and make sure that the track is safe to race on again.
However, a red flag can also be brought out if the rain is too heavy. Even though Formula 1 cars do race in the rain, they can’t handle too much standing water and puddles as they would aquaplane and lose all of their grip. This could result in a dangerous situation as we saw at the 2007 European Grand Prix where cars are just sliding off the track.
The red flag conditions can last as long as it takes for the track to become safe to race on again. In some cases this can take hours, and we have even seen some races being stopped before the drivers have completed the full race distance – in which case, only a percentage of points will be handed out to the drivers in points scoring positions.
Can F1 Teams Repair Their Cars During A Race?
F1 teams are allowed to repair their cars during a race. However, it becomes difficult for teams to make major repairs without losing the chance to score points. There just isn’t enough time for teams to make big repairs in the middle of a race. If they are needed, most teams will retire the car.
The average Formula 1 pit stop is just around 2.5 seconds long, often even faster. This is the only time that a Formula 1 car is stationary during a routine Grand Prix without any issues. This gives teams very limited time to make any changes to the car. Teams can sometimes adjust the angle of the front wing flap to fine tune the car’s handling, but not much more.
When it comes to repairs, teams are very limited on what they would deem to be “worthwhile”. If the driver falls too far behind in the race there’s no point in continuing the race, and they will be better off retiring the car from the race and saving their engine (of which they are only allowed to use three for the entire season).
The longer the pit stop takes, the further the driver will fall behind. Teams can change their front wing and tires in about 12 seconds if they’re really fast, but any more damage than that is extremely difficult to fix. Any kind of major bodywork, suspension, or rear wing damage usually results in the car being retired from the Grand Prix.
Can Repairs Be Made During A Red Flag In Formula 1?
Formula 1 teams are allowed to repair any damage on their cars during a red flag. As the drivers have all made their way into the pit lane, the team is allowed to send their crew members over to the car to repair any damage as long as it is repaired with the same spec of parts.
This is different to other series such as IndyCar and NASCAR where the crew members are not allowed to touch the car during a red flag. This rule has sparked a lot of debate between teams and drivers who have opinions about the rule giving an unfair advantage to some drivers over others.
Drivers are also allowed to change their tires and adjust some small set up elements on their cars. If a driver has not made a pit stop yet, this can be a huge advantage to them as they would essentially be given a free pit stop to change their tires and switch over to the other tire compound, skipping their mandatory pit stop.
Drivers are allowed to adjust the flap angle of their front and rear wings during a red flag. This is because the rule that allowed the teams to make repairs and changes to their cars during a red flag was initially brought in to allow them to compensate for a wet weather race (changing tires and adding more downforce with high wing angles).
What F1 Teams Can And Can’t Repair Under A Red Flag
Formula 1 teams are allowed to make some repairs and changes to their cars during a red flag. Once the car has come to a stop in the pit lane the crew members can get to work on fixing any damage that the car has sustained during the Grand Prix up to that point. This will allow any car that has sustained damage to continue further into the race.
The teams have a limited amount of time to complete their repairs on the car. The FIA are strict about the teams and drivers being ready to go when the race is resumed. If any team or driver prevents the race from restarting, they can be disqualified from the Grand Prix. Drivers need to be in their cars and ready to go at least two minutes before the green flag is waved.
During a red flag, the following is permitted:
- Starting the engine and any directly associated preparation
- The addition of compressed gasses
- The fitting or removal of permitted cooling and heating devices
- Changes to the air ducts around the front and rear brakes during the race only
- Changes to the radiator ducts during the race only
- Changes made for driver comfort
- Changing wheels and tires
- Repair of genuine accident damage, including the replacement of assemblies containing such damaged parts
- The aerodynamic setup of the front wing may be adjusted using the existing parts. No parts may be added, removed, or replaced
The FIA will send representatives to supervise the teams and ensure that they comply with the rules above. The FIA will closely monitor each team to ensure that they only make repairs to the parts that they are allowed to make repairs to during a red flag. If a team breaches the rules they will be penalized by the FIA in the form of a fine or a penalty.
Are Teams Allowed To Refuel Cars Under Red Flag Conditions?
Formula 1 banned refueling during the race at the end of the 2009 season. This was done for safety reasons as many of the accidents during pit stops were as a result of refueling. Fuel hoses would be ripped off and the result of mixing fuel with heat from an engine is not great.
Ever since, Formula 1 cars have had to complete the entire race distance on one tank of fuel, and the car has to have at least one liter of fuel left at the end of the Grand Prix. This is a strict rule, and teams are closely monitored to ensure that they do not refuel their cars during the red flag period.
However, all teams have the ability to complete the race on one tank of fuel without refueling during the Grand Prix, which means that there is no need for them to refuel their cars during a red flag. Teams often don’t take any gambles on their fuel for a Grand Prix as they need to make sure that their car reaches the finish line.
It’s impossible to predict if a race will have a red flag, so teams will never take the risk of putting too little fuel into the car and only adding more fuel when the red flag is brought out. This is why the refueling of cars is also not closely monitored by the FIA.
Can F1 Teams Change Their Set Up During A Red Flag?
Teams are allowed to make small set up changes to their cars while under red flag conditions. Originally the rule was implemented to allow teams and drivers to make small adjustments to their cars to accommodate for a change in weather conditions, such as when the rain starts to come down.
However, the cars are still under Parc Fermé conditions which means that there are restrictions that the teams need to adhere to when it comes to set up changes on their cars. For example, teams are not allowed to make any changes to their suspension setups to adjust how the cars handle through the corners.
Teams are allowed to make some adjustments to their wing angles which will still alter how the car handles. Drivers can add more downforce or take downforce away by adjusting their wing angles. This could help the driver improve their lap times or gain a tip speed advantage on the straights to help them overtake other cars.
Once again, an FIA representative will be keeping a watchful eye over the crew members and taking notes of the set-up changes that they make to the car. If the team breaches any rules they could be fined or penalized.
Times When A Red Flag Helped Drivers
For many drivers the red flag has been a saving grace. It can sometimes come at the perfect time to help them change their tires or make repairs to their car. Sometimes a driver is involved in the incident that caused the red flag, but their car could be repaired which would allow them to continue further into the Grand Prix and finish the race.
This rule has sparked much controversy amongst the Formula 1 community and even the teams and drivers. Many have complained about the rule giving some drivers an unfair advantage over others, especially when they are able to make repairs to their cars and change their tires without making a pit stop.
However, the rule remains the same for everyone, and at a later point it could be the savior of their race. Being able to repair the cars under a red flag might be controversial, however it ultimately does promote the competition of the sport by allowing competitors to get back in the fight rather than struggle with a damaged car for an entire race.
All drivers can benefit by changing to fresh tires during the red flag conditions. There have been many different drivers who have benefited from repairing their cars during a red flag in the past, however, we see this being the case unusually frequently in 2021 when Lewis Hamilton benefited from being able to repair his car under red flag conditions in two different races.
Lewis Hamilton, Imola 2021
The first time this rule helped the seven-time world champion was at the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. The challenging conditions saw many drivers struggling to get to grips with their cars on the technical and narrow Imola circuit.
Hamilton and Verstappen were out in front though, and the two were comfortably charging ahead of the pack. As the conditions were changing, Hamilton made a rare mistake when trying to lap a back marker car as he dipped a wheel into a puddle and veered off the circuit at Tosa.
The situation got worse for Hamilton as he struggled to get his Mercedes into reverse gear (which is much more difficult than you might think). Hamilton lost around 45 seconds while he was stuck in the gravel trap, and when he finally emerged back into the circuit with a damaged wing the race was red flagged because of a crash involving Bottas and Russell on the main straight.
Hamilton managed to limp the sole surviving Mercedes back to the pit lane where his crew frantically started the process of repairing his car. Luckily, they were able to salvage the race and Hamilton cruised to a second-place finish, earning a much needed 19 points.
Lewis Hamilton, Silverstone 2021
Hamilton was again helped by a red flag at his home Grand Prix in Silverstone. The controversial first lap incident between him and Max Verstappen was debated by many in the Formula 1 community, but the crash did bring out the red flag.
Hamilton’s car had sustained damage during the crash, and without the red flag it was almost certain that he would have retired from the Grand Prix. However, thanks to the red flag his team was able to repair the damage without him losing time in the pits.
Hamilton managed to recover during the Grand Prix and drove a brilliant race to fight his way back into the lead. From there he led the race in dominant fashion to take victory at his home Grand Prix after fighting off Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari at the same corner that he had his crash with Max Verstappen.
While the race and Hamilton’s victory were highly controversial, the victory was almost entirely lost if it wasn’t for the red flag. The Mercedes crew did an incredible job to be able to repair Hamilton’s car in time to keep him in the race in front of his home crowd.
F1 Red Flag As A Free Pit Stop
The red flag can be used as a free pit stop in Formula 1, which is incredibly useful especially if the driver has not pitted yet. The fact that every driver can change their tires removes the “advantage” of having this free pit stop, but some drivers can be incredibly lucky when it comes to a red flag.
The average time lost during a pit stop is around 25 seconds (this can vary depending on the track that they are racing at). If the majority of drivers have already gone into the pits to make their mandatory pit stop, the drivers who head into the pits last will be further ahead of the drivers who have pitted.
If the red flag comes out, the drivers who have not pitted yet will have an advantage over the others as they do not lose 25+ seconds in the pits. Instead of going into the pits to change their tires, they can change their tires during the red flag, which essentially gives them the free pit stop.
The drivers who had their free pit stop will have track position, and they will also be on fresh tires. This would essentially mean that they have gained positions for free, and this is exactly how Pierre Gasly found himself leading, and then winning, the 2020 Italian Grand Prix.
Should F1 Teams Be Allowed To Repair Cars Under A Red Flag?
F1 teams should be allowed to repair cars under a red flag. Though this is controversial at times, and much debated, it ultimately leads to better racing. Whether a team gains a big advantage or not is down to luck, and most fans want to see as many cars racing as possible.
The rule that allows Formula 1 teams to make repairs and light setup changes to their cars during a red flag has been highly controversial in the past few years. Many have claimed that drivers gain an unfair advantage by repairing their cars after sustaining damage. The argument is that the red flag gave them a golden opportunity to get back in the race, which many other drivers would not get.
In IndyCar and NASCAR the rules state that crew members are not allowed to be near the cars when they head into the pits during a red flag. This means that if a driver has sustained damage to their cars, they will need to deal with it for the rest of the race, or they will need to come in for a pit stop to have it repaired, which means they will lose time against their opponents.
Many have argued that the red flag rule is a good thing for the sport. Being able to repair a damaged car will help a driver to get back into the race. This is especially true if the driver was not at fault for the damage. The red flag rule allowing drivers to change tires is also rewarding for those drivers who have looked after their tires and took the risk of running a longer stint.
Final Thoughts
F1 teams are allowed to repair their cars and change the tires under a red flag. This can be a saving grace for many drivers if they have sustained any damage throughout the race, and it can be a great opportunity for drivers to get a free pitstop in the middle of a race.
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