In the round-up: Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says the red flag rule which spoiled the Monaco Grand Prix will be fixed.
In brief
F1 stop red flag rule dodges – Domenicali
A red flag on the first lap of the Monaco Grand Prix led to an even more processional race than usual as almost every driver used the opportunity to make their mandatory tyre change. Domenicali said the rule will be fixed for future races.
“The track is what it is, our cars are what they are, and it is almost impossible to overtake,” Domenicali told Auto Motor und Sport. “But when there are pit stops during the race, there is also action.
“This year we have a red flag on the first lap, and everyone has automatically made their pit stop. We must not let that happen again. We must anticipate such scenarios better and cover them with the rules.”
Domenicali said the situation in Monaco was an example of how F1’s rules “are generally too complicated.”
“Even on the sporting side,” he added. “Nobody understands the penalty system.”
Perez deal was for “stability” – Marko
Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko says the team opted to extend Sergio Perez’s contract in order to calm the situation at the team.“We extended his contract because we wanted to bring some stability to our team, which unfortunately didn’t quite work out,” he told OE24.
Perez has scored just four points in the last three races, and retired twice. “Now Checo has three races on three real race tracks ahead of him, where he can prove himself,” Marko added.
Extra checks for pair after Canada
Yuki Tsunoda and Esteban Ocon’s cars were selected at random for further inspections following the Canadian Grand Prix. The checks involved an array of different software settings and versions, and the RB and Alpine both passed.
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
Porsche concerned WEC rules will prevent other customer cars (Sportscar365)
'With Aston Martin set to join as a tenth Hypercar manufacturer next year, and the likely retention of the nine LMGT3 manufacturers that have two cars apiece, it would theoretically leave room for only two additional Hypercar entries on the expanded 40-car full-season grid.'
Championship leader Mini says there’s no time to relax ahead of upcoming triple-header (Formula 3)
'I worked a bit better on my tyre management, and the team also worked in the direction we wanted. I think in those races, the driver can make a difference of maybe two laps in getting the graining a bit later or just getting it less'
Tina Hausmann: Six things I've learnt since joining Aston Martin (Aston Martin)
'I met Fernando in Saudi Arabia ahead of the first round of F1 Academy. He's got so much experience; every time you speak to him, even if only briefly, you learn something new.'
‘Federer: Twelve Final Days’ review (Variety)
'In his two previous sports documentaries, 'Senna' and 'Diego Maradona,' filmmaker Asif Kapadia has gone a great distance toward disproving Wallace’s thesis, using ingeniously edited archival footage to probe the psyches of Formula One champion Ayrton Senna and soccer god Maradona in all their noisy complexity.'
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Notable posts from X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and more:
Serving up some donuts in Barcelona 🍩 🔥 #SpanishGP 🇪🇸 #F1 pic.twitter.com/IbtX4M200j
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) June 19, 2024
GAAAAAAAS @JMMarti_oficial!! 💪💪💪#F1Barcelona pic.twitter.com/MhbBzRk9dV
— Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (@Circuitcat_eng) June 19, 2024
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Comment of the day
Did yesterday’s feature on Lewis Hamilton’s worst races show up his qualities as a driver?
This list highlights how good Hamilton actually is. It’s surprised me somewhat.
Many results aren’t that bad or were caused by a single mistake or poor car performance.
He gained positions in many of these and had several top 10 finishes.
I’d be interested to see a similar articles for the other drivers. I’ve been very critical of Perez and I’d say his Canadian Grand Prix is way worse than anything on this list.
Ben
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Julie, M744All and Erivaldo Moreira!
On this day in motorsport
- 25 years ago today Gil de Ferran won the CART IndyCar race at Portland ahead of points leader Juan Pablo Montoya
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Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
20th June 2024, 2:56
Too little, too late Domenicali.
It’s not like this was the first time this “loophole” was used. It’s not even a loophole. It’s a fact of the rules.
I preferred the days where a red flag on the 1st lap was simply a null and void start, then we’d go again from the original starting positions, rather than worrying about timing sectors.
Also this way, you can change your tyres, but it won’t count towards the new race.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
20th June 2024, 4:07
Exactly, that’s all that needs to be changed: you change the tyres during the red flag? Fine, if it helps you strategy wise, but it won’t couunt towards the mandatory pit stop, and that track in particular puts emphasis on the strategic element, given how hard it is to pass, and that was ruined.
Agree with COTD, I also thought last race wasn’t too bad for hamilton, and example germany 2019 was a good race until an unusual mistake that broke a front wing in wet conditions, followed by the team not being ready and having a 50 sec pit stop.
Bringing up perez as a comparison makes sense, I think even just this and last year we could fill the top 10 with really really bad races for him.
drmouse (@drmouse)
21st June 2024, 15:27
Technically, there is no mandatory pit stop specified. There is a requirement to run two different tyre compounds. This forces a pit stop in most situations, but the pit stop itself is not mandatory.
I guess they could specify that, of you can m change tyres during a red flag, it must be too the same compound. But this has just as much possibility of seriously disadvantaging someone as any other variation of the rule.
Personally, I strongly dislike the two compound rule. Most people use the same two compounds in the same order, do the only races it has any real effect in are those which are not really suitable for modern F1, like Monaco. It feels even more artificial than DRS, to me.
Jere (@jerejj)
20th June 2024, 6:45
@eurobrun – Officially restarting a race if red-flagging occurs on the opening lap, i.e., discounting the opening lap towards anything would only be possible if refuelling was allowed for the purpose
@esploratore1 – Allowing tyre changes as per usual, but still being obligated to do another pit stop (with opening-lap suspensions) even if that change happens for a different compound is the only thing that would be okay if anything.
BasCB (@bascb)
20th June 2024, 7:52
Alternatively, they could look at stuff like only allowing tyre change like for like (unless the FIA mandates a change to wet tyres, or the team shows they don’t have any such tyres or something like this) – since the idea is that tyres can get damaged on debris when a red flag is shown. That would be easy to understand for all fans and teams.
Pete
20th June 2024, 8:14
Yeah that’s the solution – you are allowed to make repairs but not change your setup. Therefore you can’t change compound but you can put on a new set if you’re worried about damage to the tyres.
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
20th June 2024, 8:12
@jerejj you’re forgetting that whenever the 1st lap was red flagged (just like times when a 2nd formation lap was required), the new race length wass reduced by one lap, so obviously there is no impact on fuel.
notagrumpyfan
20th June 2024, 9:40
It would probably be two laps, as you need another formation lap, but your are spot on that it has no negative impact on fuel (if anything they will have more available for the remaining laps due to the reduced speeds).
And red-flagging on the start-finish line, still gives the option to drivers to enter the pit and change tyres, but they would lose their starting position.
And fans can see more of the cars/teams when stationary on the grid rather than in the pit straight.
Seems simple and fair to me.
Jere (@jerejj)
21st June 2024, 6:49
@eurobrun You referred to literally starting over, though, which means adding an extra racing lap or two to the originally-scheduled lap amount, in which case fuel sufficiency would be problematic, hence my original reply.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
20th June 2024, 4:47
F1 will fix Monaco red flag loophole, LOL.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
20th June 2024, 4:52
Thanks for mentioning the Federer documentary, I probably wouldn’t have caught it otherwise. Maybe more tennis and less e-sport? :)
Mog
20th June 2024, 5:04
They signed Perez coz of Verstappen. Anyone could have predicted Perez’ poor form, as Marko well knows.
MacLeod (@macleod)
20th June 2024, 7:57
I don’t think it was Max Verstappen that wanted to sign Perez he said it gaves stability to the team. But if Perez doesn’t step up he is gone eitherway.
An Sionnach
20th June 2024, 5:44
“Senna” was a documentary? Perhaps in the grand tradition of films like Man of Aran and Triumph of the Will…
Actually, many documentaries are a mix of polemic and propaganda, so “Senna” fits right in!
An Sionnach
20th June 2024, 5:48
I thought the Monaco Grand Prix ruined the grand prix. Good thing that there was no red flag in the qualifying. That would have made a real mess of things. Would it be better to have an open two days of qualifying?
Jere (@jerejj)
20th June 2024, 6:38
Such an event, effectively time trial-style would be fitting for Monaco.
Red Andy (@red-andy)
20th June 2024, 6:20
The penalty system is actually one of the easier elements of F1 to understand:
1. An incident occurs
2. The race director notes the incident and passes it to the stewards
3. The stewards open an investigation
4. A penalty is issued to Fernando Alonso.
BasCB (@bascb)
20th June 2024, 7:53
:-) especially that last one yeah.
In reality the only part of the penalty system that is hard to understand is how inconsistently it is actually used and how poorly explained the decisions still only too often are.
SteveP
20th June 2024, 7:54
…or, in his absence, any other Spanish driver.
Gotta get the anti-Spanish bias in
notagrumpyfan
20th June 2024, 9:42
;)
Keithedin
20th June 2024, 13:01
@red-andy And don’t forget the most important, rule 5: If a driver is on 10 or more penalty points, no further penalty points will be awarded.
Jere (@jerejj)
20th June 2024, 6:41
No such loophole exists, & once again, I disagree with any actual changes needed regarding pit stopping during race suspensions.
The only thing needed to change is restarting races in the position order when red gets deployed/in which everyone enters the pit lane, just like with SCs anyway, to avoid anyone benefitting as Sainz did by freely gaining back all positions he’d lost.
Yes, the rule will get applied this way as long as it exists, but it shouldn’t exist in the first place, which is the point.
oweng (@oweng)
20th June 2024, 7:28
Why don’t they allow tyre changes during red flag but it has to be for the same compound?
MacLeod (@macleod)
20th June 2024, 8:00
Because it could be that teams doesn’t have any left. Simple way is changing tyres during Red Flag doesn’t count to the mandatory tyre rule. So everyone has to pit again…….
Asanator
20th June 2024, 8:52
Of course they will have some left, they will just be used and not new, which is a good thing and may dissuade un necessary tyre changes.
Jere (@jerejj)
21st June 2024, 6:52
However, a previously used set can equally refer to a set with many laps already rather than only one or two push laps, & the part about not having any sets of a given compound left is also possible, as sometimes drivers only have a single set of medium or hard left for a race, meaning if they’ve used that for a high lap amount & a race gets suspended at a later point by which they haven’t used two compounds yet, they could only switch to a different compound.
notagrumpyfan
20th June 2024, 9:24
So the only stability they introduced is that Checo still has to prove himself and fear for his seat :P
Nikos (@exeviolthor)
20th June 2024, 11:49
Well he admitted that it didn’t work out.
tielemst
20th June 2024, 11:00
If special rules are needed in lap 1 for a race to make it not completely stink there’s something else wrong with it than lap 1.
I think Marko might be referring to financial stability?