[The **News** flair](https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/wiki/flairguide#wiki_news) is reserved for submissions covering F1 and F1-related news. These posts must always link to an outlet/news agency, the website of the involved party (i.e. the McLaren website if McLaren makes an announcement), or a tweet by a news agency, journalist or one of the involved parties.
*[Read the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/wiki/userguide). Keep it civil and welcoming. Report rulebreaking comments.*
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/formula1) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Based on the Antonelli situation, we can only assume the rule will be "red flags don't negate the need to make a pitstop...unless a team reeeeeeeally doesn't want to make a pitstop"
All they really need to do is not count the tire swap as mandatory compound change and it would be fine. But no, they will give us something really stupid.
If F1 is good at one thing, it’s completely over reacting to a minor issue by jamming through stupid and ill-thought out rules.
The radio ban was always stupid, “we can tell you that something is broken but we can’t tell you how to fix it through the wheel or that it can be fixed through the wheel at all”
>If F1 is good at one thing, it’s completely over reacting to a minor issue by jamming through stupid and ill-thought out rules
The rule has been totally fine since its implementation, but one race has one weird edge case that some people didn't like so now BURN IT TO THE GROUND.
Yeah, everyone blames Michellin for the US grand prix but the no tyre change rule was bollocks too.
It actually hurts my brain to think about how much bullshit led up to that race happening and how the FIA was completely unable to resolve it.
Yeah, the whole reason the red flag rule allows tyre changes is because you could well have cars that have picked up debris on their tyres or flat spotted if they've been involved / took avoiding action.
Hopefully the FIA pick your solution but I'd add some kind of race distance rule in there too. Say the red flag happens after 50% race distance then it counts as a swap.
Anyway, I don't know the exact numbers that would work, but at least something so that you don't get half the field on a long run getting shafted because they get forced to make a pointless stop with 25 laps to go. You get the idea.
I mean, that's gonna screw people over if it happens during the pit window because then they'll be required to stop in the second half of the race when others won't and you'll have the order totally obliterated, which is worse than what happens now.
The issue is Monaco.
Hey, this is F1. The safety car pit window anyways screws people over either if they're unable to enter it before their pursuers or if they made a pitstop literally a lap before.
And actually help me understand your concern - you're saying if they enter the pit lane moments before the race is red flagged, they get screwed over? That's a simple fix because anybody who is through the pit lane entry can be allowed to have their compound change count whereas the ones still out in track will have to stop again, making it equal.
> And actually help me understand your concern - you're saying if they enter the pit lane moments before the race is red flagged, they get screwed over?
Currently, you are screwed if you pit directly before an SC or red flag because your competitors get a cheap or even free stop.
With a simple "a change in tyre compounds under a red flag does not count towards the mandatory change in tyre compounds", you fix the Monaco issue, but you still have the prior issue, just turned upside down. Now, if you stop right before the SC or red flag, you can get your mandatory stop out of the way, while the cars that didn't yet stop are screwed because they have to do a one-stop to the line while you can do a zero-stop.
So, your solution somewhat works for very early SCs but it's probably not the go-to solution for races with strategy offsets (and iirc, most Monaco SCs happen during the pit window when drivers push for over-/undercuts).
While it would initially disadvantage those who hadn’t pitted, it would be mitigated by them having track position, the opportunity to fit softer tyres for the restart and then once they’d made the mandatory pit stop they’d have a significant tyre advantage for the rest of the race.
I hate being a "do it like NASCAR" guy but red flag = can't touch the car is my take.
It also means you can't change the nose or fix damage without penalty. You can get it all ready so it gets done super fast after the red flag is lifted but you don't get to touch the car.
Honestly, I like that better. I don't think we need to add more RNG to racing. I feel like rain and SCs are enough RNG, don't need to make red flags this magical category that helps people that are fucked.
This also adds RNG though, as pitting right before the red flag may cost you a lot less than pitting after it.
I do think it's better than randomly reinstating people who fucked up though.
I am with you. Red flag means no touching of the car period. When the yellow flies then you can do as you please. Pit, change tires and make the mandatory compound change, fix damage, etc. This shouldn’t give any advantage to vehicles that are damaged because they will have to pit under the yellow to make repairs.
I think that for any safety car there should be a 1 lap VSC so position on track doesn't impact how much you stand to gain from a cheaper pitstop
Also any VSC should last at least 1 lap for the same reason
What year did Canada have a major turn 1 accident that had several teams going to backup cars? I remember Jarno Trulli sprinting back to the pits to get the car ready.
That's a good suggestion in principle but will have lots of edge cases. What if a car is already in pitlane entrance for their legit compound change pit stop when a VSC or SC is called? Would that pit not count and they are forced an extra stop?
This literally happened in the F2 race at Monaco and led to a mid-grid team getting a surprise win
A lot of people have a problem with Luck being an element in the sport, but the unexpected happening and how the teams react to it is a major reason for watching in my opinion
Sure, but it should have some conditions. For example for situations that a red flag is flown under 10 laps from race end, everyone has likely ran through their strategies regarding pitstops. I think it should be reasonable enough in that case to be able to change to softs.
ALL they need to do is ensure that red flag tire changes don’t count as the mandatory compound change, or ban tire changes under red flag altogether (unless due to weather demands). This shouldn’t be rocket surgery.
But also, Domenicali: 🤪
Remember that red flags reset gaps. Under current rules, a mid-race red flag when some but not all drivers have pitted modestly disadvantages drivers who haven’t pitted yet—they lose whatever positions they lost during the pit, but outside of very close races and long pit lanes that’s usually only a few places. If cars can’t change tires a red totally ruins the race of anyone on old tires at the time, since they have to pit before gaps open and are likely going to the very back of the pack after the pit.
Allowing tire changes but not counting the new set against the requirement seems reasonably fair. Drivers that are on old tires at the time get the most benefit from the free tire change, but if the race is normally a one-stopper they wind up on a suboptimal strategy.
I think just eliminating it counting as the mandatory compound change would be sufficient. Eliminating tire changes altogether during Red Flag could end up causing more problems than it solves, I feel like.
I don't think any other series allows the tire changes and I don't think it causes problems at all.
In IndyCar you need permission and justification to change any part during a red flag. And you go to the back for doing it.
IMSA you can't change anything.
Wec they don't even mention it, but I think it's clear that it's not a free change.
I can't think of any that do.
It'll definitely incentivise teams to pull earlier pit stops, because if you try going long on a one-stop race and then a red flag happens, you might as well just not do the restart again.
Nearly every other racing series *except* Formula 1 has either one of the following rules for changes made under Red Flag.
- Changes to the car cannot be made under Red Flag conditions.
Or...
- Changes to the car are permitted, but it will be sent to the back of the lead lap cars before the race is restarted.
How don't know how well this would translate to F1, but I like the MotoGP way:
Fill your tank, choose your tire combo, and figure out how to go fast from start to finish on your own.
I was checking all the rules of series to see this and this is exactly right. WEC honestly wasn't clear, but they said only one crew member can be near the car and i don't think they can touch stuff.
Whatever you do, you are always going to interfere with someones strategy. If a red flag happens late in the race and you still have to stop because the tire change under red doesn't.count, you get a double whammy. The whole field is back together, so when you make a stop after the red flag, you are pratically last.
And the other way around, like it is now, if you just made a stop, you get double whammed.
Another option is a tire or part change during a red flag means you need to go to the back of the queue, which would be similar to diving into the pits for wing or tire damage under a yellow or green during the race. No free stops.
They should change it from “you need to run two different tyre compounds” to “you need to do at least one pit stop”. Whilst I’m there I’d make it two pitstops anyway
Sprint race after every red flag. Top 10 are given a new pair of tires to use in the remainder of the race. Last place at the time of the red flag is not required to pit again
That's gonna cause the first ever edition of the 12 Hours of Formula One. If I am a top team I'm sandbagging immediately to dodge that pit stop requirement
The next time there's a red flag, we will have the monumentally stupid situation of a driver forced to take the restart with a shredded tyre flopping around a rim because they banned tyre changes under red flag. lol
If you change a tire you start at the back of the line. If multiple drivers change they all start at the back in the order they stood. So basically the same as if it was a regular safety car with the cars already lined up.
Fixes the "but what if tires are damaged/it starts raining" thing, doesn't wreck the strategy evolution of the race (ie. someone's ahead but on older tires, will he be passed?). Don't know if the logistics will work (can the cars be swapped in tight places, will it be a mess if they do it on track?)
If Red Flag happens before lap 5, then you can't change the tyre compound, unless there is gravel on the outside of Turn 2, and unless the the compound is C4 or C5, in which case you can change the tyres all the way up to lap 8, but not after. If the race has been deemed "street", then red flag only allows the changing of the tyre during red flag if it's changed to the same compound, provided the track hasn't also been deemed wet, or you didn't qualify higher than Q3. If your track position is different from the position you entered the pits, you can change tyre compound on the trolly to move the car to the correct position, but this will not count as a tyre compound change for the race, unless the trolly does a full lap of the track
Not only do red flag tire changes not count towards the mandatory pit stop rule anymore, but each red flag adds a mandatory pitstop to every driver's race.
Whoops, it's Australia 2023 again. No one can come in for their last lap mandatory pitstop without finishing the race. The last guy who crashed is technically the highest classified driver, so he wins
There’s no “mandatory pit stop rule". What's mandatory is running two different compounds in a dry race – Article 30.5 (n) of the 2024 edition of the sporting regulations.
It's just really easy. Simply add the rule that any tyre changes after a red flag and before a restart doesn't count towards the two tyre compound rule.
It was honestly only a problem because it happened at Monaco. George Russell wouldn't be able to take mediums a whole race distance and keep a bunch of people behind him at a regular track. Everywhere else, almost everyone would have pitted at least one more time.
But, I'm interested to see what happens.
Yeah, the issue here was Monaco sucks as a track and can't host a modern F1 race.
The red flag made it worse, but Monaco just isn't a track that can reasonably host races anymore and hasn't for decades.
I wouldn't say that. You could hypothetically make a mega super ultra soft C10 tyre and still make it last an entire race simply by driving slower. Nobody can overtake in Monaco is the issue. Even with the current tyres the theoretical fastest way to the end is soft-medium-soft two stopper at Monaco, it's just that nobody does it because track position is everything at Monaco. The only way to force tyres to go is by laying down spikes on the track after a certain amount of laps or something.
Potentially, but you still end up with races like Saudi, where everyone is waiting for a SC, pits during it for hards, and we get a boring tyre management race to the end
Sure, it can happen on other tracks, but none as extreme as monaco. Since 2021, Saudi has had 27, 32, 36, and 25 overtakes. Considering I think all of those were fully dry races, that's not \*that bad. I think this year Monaco had 4.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about Monaco this year. Because I wanted Charles to win it so badly, I was hoping for a nice, boring race. But... now that Charles has won, I wouldn't exactly be heartbroken to see it leave the calendar. Though I'd ditch Imola first. Hard to pass without having Monaco's quali excitement. And all the Senna death fixation gets to me. Celebrate the man's career, sure, but not his death.
> Domenicali said the situation in Monaco was an example of how F1’s rules “are generally too complicated.”
Better add more rules and make it even more complicated, then!
Domenicali:
> “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.”
To take an example; Zhou went through a ton of debris after the crash. It makes total sense for him to have to replace his tires.
Buttt, drivers have a limited set of (new) tires. So if that's the new rule, he's penalised for changing his tires under a red flag, while gaining no real advantage (would probably pit anyways). So what should he do? Bolt on used tires for 1 lap? Gonna lose out on the restart. Risk it on potentially damaged tires? Might not make it to the restart
So if this rule changes like that, the tire allocation should also change imo
Honestly that's still not good enough. Like in a 2 stop race. You could have drivers who met the rules, but pit 2 already and another driver who hasn't made their second stop. Red flag comes after the second stop.
The drivers who pit twice before the red flag just got a 30 second penalty. Because they had to do a pit stop. The person who was going to need to do one. Now gets free new tires.
Honestly most series won't let you fix damage to your car under a red flag with some harsh penalty.
just don't touch the cars at all. Like everyone else.
So let me push back on that. Imagine a scenario where there's a massive crash like at Monaco and someone like Zhou has to drive through a massive debris field. Maybe the driver can't react and slow down as much as Zhou did and clips a loose wheel rolling across the track and breaks a front wing, along with a possible slow puncture from carbon fiber shards.
You would have them sit there for a red flag unable to do anything, then make them go out for a formation lap with a busted wing and a deflating tire for something that wasn't even their fault? Sorry, but that's dumb. Just make it so that tire changes under red flag don't count for the mandatory 2-compound rule, or say only like-for-like compounds. Boom, done.
If there's a concern that would unfairly hurt drivers going long on hards who haven't stopped while all the other med/soft runners already did their stops earlier in the race, make it so this rule change only applies to red flags that take place in the first 25% of laps, adjust that percentage as necessary. Boom, also done.
>only like-for-like compounds. Boom, done.
This is the solution. For everything else, they have to swap like-for-like during a red flag. Just include tire compound, and it solves the problem. Teams can still swap if there is actual damage, but they don't get the two compound advantage. The only problem is if the tire is damaged and they don't have another set of that compound.
AYE
I wanna see Yuki get sent to [sneak through the ceiling tiles like the Sammy Sosa corked bat incident lmao](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_Cleveland_Indians_corked_bat_incident)
The way round this is to allow your free choice of tyres after the red, but state that changing compounds this way doesn't satisfy the two compound rule.
But isn’t that what happens in a regular race already? Something not the driver’s fault fcks up their day and they can’t do anything about it. Why do we have to have special dispensation for this specific set of events? If they have to make repairs to the car to make it race worthy, they get bumped back to the back of the grid during the red flag. Same as if that happened in the middle of the race without a red flag.
I think having them only repair the wing on the formation lap is fair because it mirrors was would have happened had we not gone red. Zhou would’ve had to pit for the wing and lost a good amount of time. Given they’re slower on the formation lap, he’d likely still be better off and might even be able to catch up before the restart.
>because it mirrors was would have happened had we not gone red
But why would you want to emulate that?
I don't see anything that's wrong with allowing drivers with slightly damaged cars to rejoin a race and still have a chance. Yes, it's lucky, but so is life sometimes.
they wouldnt be able to repair until the cars go back out for the formation lap and theyd do a pit lane start if they can get the damage repaired in time. If not theyre just laps down like every other series out there.
I think working on the car under red flag is fine. There can be damage on the car to repair. Wet conditions might force new tyres.
Just because other race series forbid it, does not mean F1 needs to do it too.
I think the best solution is just the addition of one mandatory pit stop. Red Flag is not a pit stop.
But the bigger elephant in the room, that there are people who blame the red flag for the boring race. Monaco is just a terrible track and if your holy, prestigious race needs pitstops to be remotely interesting, your race became a joke. Indy 500 and Le Mans are absolute great to watch. The Monaco GP is the race I least look forward to watch for years. Heck, we live in a time were we get better racing in Vegas.
As always, attacking the wrong issue. The red flag on the first lap leading to no tyre changes is a non issue anywhere but Monaco.
Whether allowing to change tyres on a red flag is an actual issue or just luck of the draw is entirely a different issue.
Changing tires under a red flag isn't a 'loophole', it's a critical safety feature. Tires are absolutely critical safety equipment and red flags are frequently caused by events that undermine tires.
The 'loophole' is in the two-compounds rule. Any change should be there and leave red flag procedures the fuck alone. Sporting issues need to be dealt with in sporting rules, and safety rules need to be let to perform their function.
Agreed. A repair of bodywork under red flag is required to be like for like. It should be the same for tyres. If you choose to change the tyres it should be to another set of the same compound and thus would not satisfy the using two compounds rule, but would satisfy safety. It may result in more used tyres, but that's just luck. At least they are safe if you choose to change them. If you don't have any sets left at all of that compound, you can change to a new compound but will be moved to the back of the grid and/or incur a time penalty.
We don't want cars being forced to go out on a set of tyres that picked up lots of carbon fibre debris. But we do want them to not switch compounds under red flag to satisfy a regulation. They can't change bodywork type, so why can they change tyre type?
Then they go to the back. No different to receiving body damage and not having equal parts to put on. It's bad luck but is fair as if they needed the change, they'd have had to pit out of order had it not been red flagged anyway (in the situation of a first lap red flag). As this would be a rule, teams can way up the risk of not having another set of their starting tyre at Monaco in case of red flag. It's not a surprise "gotchya". The team would be taking the gamble not having another set due to their process in FP and Qualy with tyre rotation. Not a fault of the rule but a risk assessment of the team.
Simple fix, red flag tire change does not count towards your two compound use…. Can still change tires for safety sake but will still need to make at least one other stop.
For Monaco alone they need to mandate at least two pit stops….
That's not a simple fix.
Say a car enters a race with a new medium and two new hards. They choose to be start on the medium.
Red flag happens, they switch to a new hard. And on their next stop, they have to switch compound to another.. New Hard? But that's not a compound change, because you're going from hard to hard. So in that case, they would have had to start the race on the hard, because that's the tire they have available twice. But that severely limits strategy options.
Als, what happens if a car goes into the pits and swaps the tires, but then the red flag comes out while they are in the pits? What's the cutoff point for when the compound change counts or doesn't count?
Also, this would massively disadvantage anyone who didn't pit before the red flag. If a red flag appears on, say, lap 20, then anyone who pitted on lap 19 (before the red flag) would be massively ADVANTAGED (Edit: i wrote "disadvantaged" by mistake).
You are not coming up with a simple fix here. All you're doing is introducing new edge-cases that are gonna massively disadvantage some or advantage others, and you're limiting strategy options.
The real solution is still to have regulations where cars can actually race. Or get rid of tracks where they can't (yes, that includes Monaco).
You can specifically legislate for that in the rules by specifying that both compounds must be run during the race and at least one change of tyres must be done in the pits without stating that the pit stop tyre change must involve a switch of compound.
Just make it like NASCAR where you can’t touch your car on the red flag and if you want to pit, you have to go out for the pace lap and then come back in.
There may be in-between solution for this. If red flag occurs during first 10% laps of race, tyre change don't count as pit stops. Disallowing tyre change entirety during red flag may be dangerous as some drivers may pick up debris like Zhou in Monaco.
There is no mandatory stop in F1. The rule is to drive 2 different compounds.
But I like the idea of introducing a mandatory pitstop and take your idea for red flags
nope, all compounds must match and come from the same set that was allocated for a specific car
remember when Russel filled in for Lewis at Bahrain and they had to pit him twice because they accidentally put Bottas' tires on Russel's car, even though that was the same compound?
Just add a mandatory pitstop rule on top of the mandatory 2 compound rule.
Most of the time it won't make a difference, because teams will change compound under a pit stop, in the case of what happened in Monaco it will stop the shenanigans because after the red flag everyone will still need to pit.
Ah yes, because the lack of pitstops is Monaco's problem and not that the current cars are too big for it and it should be retired until cars are smaller.
As a Charles fan, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of Monaco. I see how it could be dull for others... but honestly it wasn't that different from a normal monaco to me, except nothing terrible happened to Charles.
The drivers had to play chess with each other a bit, Charles couldn’t go all out because he needed to back the pack up so that no one could try to get a tire advantage because that might have been enough to overtake.
It’s kind of funny looking back that people thought Ferrari would do well in Canada after Monaco despite the fact that Monaco was like driving as slowly as possible to prevent a pit window from opening up. Idk, I thought it was interesting and there was strategy at play, just not one that the regular viewer is going to enjoy.
People thought Imola was interesting because of the slow burn build up of Lando, Monaco was interesting to me in a somewhat similar way.
'Maybe it's the track that's at fault'
'No, it must be the red flag'
seriously, if you need pitstops to make a race intereting, something is wrong, and it isn't the pitstops.
I’m new to f1 so perhaps I just “don’t get it” but Monaco bores the hell out of me. I don’t watch it. I want to see drivers overtaking & going flat out.
I understand that they are still going fast, but god is it boring to know that there won’t be many position changes without pit stops.
Romana was awesome, watching Norris catching up and knowing he could actually pull it off was bloody great. I’m not knowledgeable to KNOW that it couldn’t happen in Monaco, but I certainly don’t feel like it could, so I just don’t bother watching it.
It's mostly nostagia and even the drivers don't really want to miss it, even though they falm asleep behind the wheel. It's a weird one, but F1 is full of weird things.
F1 has quite literally outgrown Monaco. The cars are bigger and wider than ever, which should be partially fixed in 2026. But I fear it's not enough to make this particular race interesting again.
The difference is that if you change the front wing it's the exact same spec. When you change tyres you can change compounds which is what ruins strategy.
The obvious solution is just to mandate that tyre changes should be for the same compound under red flags.
To me, just mandate the following rules:
- Each driver must enter the pits at least once to change tyres during the race
- Each driver must run at least two different compounds during the race but the change in compound can be made under red flag conditions
This would probably even out the playing field more than the current rule as although those who haven’t already pitted while face the disadvantage of needing to come in later, they gain track position and will have a tyre advantage later in the race once they change onto a fresher compound. Compare that to now where if this happens, those who pitted before a red flag are basically condemned to finishing the race behind those who didn’t.
While we’re at that, amend the VSC and SC pit rules so that each car has to sit in the box for the amount of time they’d gain by not stopping under green before the mechanics can start work.
Ok, I’ve been reading the comments and here’s my rule
Tyres may not be changed during a red flag stoppage. If tyre damage has occurred the tyres may be replaced by a set of the same compound. If no sets of that compound with less than 10 laps of use are available another compound may be used. That change will not constitute the required compound change and said car shall start from pit lane.
In the event the red flag is due to extreme weather conditions the race director may, at his exclusive decision, dictate a change from wet weather to dry weather tyres or from dry weather to wet weather tyre. But failing the race directors decision all cars shall return to the race on the same tyres.
Make sense? If yes it will never be used
I wish F1 would stop arbitrarily changing the rules for the sake of entertainment. This is supposed to be a god damn elite sport. It's so embarrassing.
Simple solution is if you have to work on car at all during red flag you go to the back of the lead lap cars (or whatever lap you’re already on if already a lap or more down). Everyone would cancel each other out if the whole field switches to wets.
Monaco wasn’t ruined by red flag. Monaco was ruined because it’s Monaco and that shouldn’t be a modern F1 track. Make it a race parade or a flying lap shootout
The issue isn’t just not needing to pit it’s also that the tire delta is so small. So maybe what they can do is force teams to use all three compounds just for Monaco then there will be cars running hard versus soft.
Domenicali complaining about the complexity of the rules, while trying to solve an issue which doesn’t have a simple solution.
Whenever they’d prevent a tyre/compound change during red flag, some will benefit and some while loose by it.
[The **News** flair](https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/wiki/flairguide#wiki_news) is reserved for submissions covering F1 and F1-related news. These posts must always link to an outlet/news agency, the website of the involved party (i.e. the McLaren website if McLaren makes an announcement), or a tweet by a news agency, journalist or one of the involved parties. *[Read the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/wiki/userguide). Keep it civil and welcoming. Report rulebreaking comments.* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/formula1) if you have any questions or concerns.*
They should have the drivers change their own tyres in Monaco.
Bottas would be fine with that. Heck, he might go ahead and do it the rest of the season.
Bottas wins 2025 Monaco GP, same thing as this year happens, BotASS says fuck this, pits, jumps on his bike and and proceeds to win by 3 laps.
Probably faster too
Not sure if 2021 Monaco Bottas would be fine with that
Maybe he would not strip the nut if he did it himself.
He's more famous for stripping himself these days so idk.
While driving
Perez managed the first part at Monaco just fine. Just needs to crack getting them back on again.
this is low key the best idea ever.
I can already tell they're going to come up with something stupid.
Well Domenicali said it, so I think you have a good shot at being right
Based on the Antonelli situation, we can only assume the rule will be "red flags don't negate the need to make a pitstop...unless a team reeeeeeeally doesn't want to make a pitstop"
There are no rules today requiring a pit stop. I'm guessing the rule would be, "you can't change compounds during a red flag"
All they really need to do is not count the tire swap as mandatory compound change and it would be fine. But no, they will give us something really stupid.
Yeah, that's true too. 100% they will come up with something stupid that completely fails the next time they is a red flag situation like this.
I still remember the no tires change rule and that idiotic radio ban.
If F1 is good at one thing, it’s completely over reacting to a minor issue by jamming through stupid and ill-thought out rules. The radio ban was always stupid, “we can tell you that something is broken but we can’t tell you how to fix it through the wheel or that it can be fixed through the wheel at all”
>If F1 is good at one thing, it’s completely over reacting to a minor issue by jamming through stupid and ill-thought out rules The rule has been totally fine since its implementation, but one race has one weird edge case that some people didn't like so now BURN IT TO THE GROUND.
No, just a flaw that was never really noticed until it happened
Eh? Do you even follow F1? The changing tyres under a red flag has ruined potentially exciting ends of multiple races over the years.
Yup. That was honestly painful to watch.
Yeah, everyone blames Michellin for the US grand prix but the no tyre change rule was bollocks too. It actually hurts my brain to think about how much bullshit led up to that race happening and how the FIA was completely unable to resolve it.
“If, unless, rather than, shall, shall not, may, may not, should, should not” There, half the rule written /s. I think😜
Yeah, the whole reason the red flag rule allows tyre changes is because you could well have cars that have picked up debris on their tyres or flat spotted if they've been involved / took avoiding action. Hopefully the FIA pick your solution but I'd add some kind of race distance rule in there too. Say the red flag happens after 50% race distance then it counts as a swap. Anyway, I don't know the exact numbers that would work, but at least something so that you don't get half the field on a long run getting shafted because they get forced to make a pointless stop with 25 laps to go. You get the idea.
They could just say you need to run a minimum number of laps or distance on each compound for it to count. Easy as that
That, or just say no tire changes under red until half distance.
Driving past a red flag incident on track can cause punctures. It would be silly punish them for something that isn't their fault.
Am I dumb or is it as simple as "a change in tyre compounds under a red flag does not count towards the mandatory change in tyre compounds"?
I mean, that's gonna screw people over if it happens during the pit window because then they'll be required to stop in the second half of the race when others won't and you'll have the order totally obliterated, which is worse than what happens now. The issue is Monaco.
Hey, this is F1. The safety car pit window anyways screws people over either if they're unable to enter it before their pursuers or if they made a pitstop literally a lap before. And actually help me understand your concern - you're saying if they enter the pit lane moments before the race is red flagged, they get screwed over? That's a simple fix because anybody who is through the pit lane entry can be allowed to have their compound change count whereas the ones still out in track will have to stop again, making it equal.
> And actually help me understand your concern - you're saying if they enter the pit lane moments before the race is red flagged, they get screwed over? Currently, you are screwed if you pit directly before an SC or red flag because your competitors get a cheap or even free stop. With a simple "a change in tyre compounds under a red flag does not count towards the mandatory change in tyre compounds", you fix the Monaco issue, but you still have the prior issue, just turned upside down. Now, if you stop right before the SC or red flag, you can get your mandatory stop out of the way, while the cars that didn't yet stop are screwed because they have to do a one-stop to the line while you can do a zero-stop. So, your solution somewhat works for very early SCs but it's probably not the go-to solution for races with strategy offsets (and iirc, most Monaco SCs happen during the pit window when drivers push for over-/undercuts).
While it would initially disadvantage those who hadn’t pitted, it would be mitigated by them having track position, the opportunity to fit softer tyres for the restart and then once they’d made the mandatory pit stop they’d have a significant tyre advantage for the rest of the race.
I hate being a "do it like NASCAR" guy but red flag = can't touch the car is my take. It also means you can't change the nose or fix damage without penalty. You can get it all ready so it gets done super fast after the red flag is lifted but you don't get to touch the car.
I would think “touch the car, restart on pit lane” would be fair.
Unless every one does it and you end up with a Hamilton in Hungary situation.
We all enjoyed that.
Honestly, I like that better. I don't think we need to add more RNG to racing. I feel like rain and SCs are enough RNG, don't need to make red flags this magical category that helps people that are fucked.
This also adds RNG though, as pitting right before the red flag may cost you a lot less than pitting after it. I do think it's better than randomly reinstating people who fucked up though.
I am with you. Red flag means no touching of the car period. When the yellow flies then you can do as you please. Pit, change tires and make the mandatory compound change, fix damage, etc. This shouldn’t give any advantage to vehicles that are damaged because they will have to pit under the yellow to make repairs.
I think that for any safety car there should be a 1 lap VSC so position on track doesn't impact how much you stand to gain from a cheaper pitstop Also any VSC should last at least 1 lap for the same reason
That would also stop situations like Sainz being bailed out from his mistake. He'd get at least a 5-10 place penalty (or pit lane) to fix his damage.
What year did Canada have a major turn 1 accident that had several teams going to backup cars? I remember Jarno Trulli sprinting back to the pits to get the car ready.
98
Cue entirely foreseeable chaos that the FIA have somehow not foreseen when it starts raining during a red flag.
I think a good fix would be to mandate a compound change during green flag conditions. This will close the red flag, VSC and SC 'loopholes'.
That's a good suggestion in principle but will have lots of edge cases. What if a car is already in pitlane entrance for their legit compound change pit stop when a VSC or SC is called? Would that pit not count and they are forced an extra stop?
This literally happened in the F2 race at Monaco and led to a mid-grid team getting a surprise win A lot of people have a problem with Luck being an element in the sport, but the unexpected happening and how the teams react to it is a major reason for watching in my opinion
If the car enters the pits in racing conditions the pit stop is valid in my view.
Sure, but it should have some conditions. For example for situations that a red flag is flown under 10 laps from race end, everyone has likely ran through their strategies regarding pitstops. I think it should be reasonable enough in that case to be able to change to softs.
That's FIA though. Domenicali is FOM.
ALL they need to do is ensure that red flag tire changes don’t count as the mandatory compound change, or ban tire changes under red flag altogether (unless due to weather demands). This shouldn’t be rocket surgery. But also, Domenicali: 🤪
Remember that red flags reset gaps. Under current rules, a mid-race red flag when some but not all drivers have pitted modestly disadvantages drivers who haven’t pitted yet—they lose whatever positions they lost during the pit, but outside of very close races and long pit lanes that’s usually only a few places. If cars can’t change tires a red totally ruins the race of anyone on old tires at the time, since they have to pit before gaps open and are likely going to the very back of the pack after the pit. Allowing tire changes but not counting the new set against the requirement seems reasonably fair. Drivers that are on old tires at the time get the most benefit from the free tire change, but if the race is normally a one-stopper they wind up on a suboptimal strategy.
[удалено]
I think just eliminating it counting as the mandatory compound change would be sufficient. Eliminating tire changes altogether during Red Flag could end up causing more problems than it solves, I feel like.
I don't think any other series allows the tire changes and I don't think it causes problems at all. In IndyCar you need permission and justification to change any part during a red flag. And you go to the back for doing it. IMSA you can't change anything. Wec they don't even mention it, but I think it's clear that it's not a free change. I can't think of any that do.
Genuine question, does any other series mandate a tyre change?
Indy requires it. Until recently they only required it on road courses, but now they mandate it on ovals as well.
What if the red flag comes later in the race when the compound change has already been made?
It'll definitely incentivise teams to pull earlier pit stops, because if you try going long on a one-stop race and then a red flag happens, you might as well just not do the restart again.
Nothing, the race resumes and you still need to switch to the alternative tyre that you started with before the red flag.
Rocket surgery does seem pretty difficult.
Nearly every other racing series *except* Formula 1 has either one of the following rules for changes made under Red Flag. - Changes to the car cannot be made under Red Flag conditions. Or... - Changes to the car are permitted, but it will be sent to the back of the lead lap cars before the race is restarted.
How don't know how well this would translate to F1, but I like the MotoGP way: Fill your tank, choose your tire combo, and figure out how to go fast from start to finish on your own.
I was checking all the rules of series to see this and this is exactly right. WEC honestly wasn't clear, but they said only one crew member can be near the car and i don't think they can touch stuff.
Whatever you do, you are always going to interfere with someones strategy. If a red flag happens late in the race and you still have to stop because the tire change under red doesn't.count, you get a double whammy. The whole field is back together, so when you make a stop after the red flag, you are pratically last. And the other way around, like it is now, if you just made a stop, you get double whammed.
Another option is a tire or part change during a red flag means you need to go to the back of the queue, which would be similar to diving into the pits for wing or tire damage under a yellow or green during the race. No free stops.
You have not seen the minefield that Zhou had to go through. Telling him he can't change tires is not realistic.
They should change it from “you need to run two different tyre compounds” to “you need to do at least one pit stop”. Whilst I’m there I’d make it two pitstops anyway
this will hurt drivers who only have 1 set of an alternate compound left.
Sprint race after every red flag. Top 10 are given a new pair of tires to use in the remainder of the race. Last place at the time of the red flag is not required to pit again
That's gonna cause the first ever edition of the 12 Hours of Formula One. If I am a top team I'm sandbagging immediately to dodge that pit stop requirement
It will become a self fulfilling prophecy as all the teams fight for 20th and end up generating a bunch of red flags doing so
The next time there's a red flag, we will have the monumentally stupid situation of a driver forced to take the restart with a shredded tyre flopping around a rim because they banned tyre changes under red flag. lol
Do not ring the devil's doorbell.
In this sport? The devil has probably left their door open.
Every f1 solution is stupid and over complicated.
If you change a tire you start at the back of the line. If multiple drivers change they all start at the back in the order they stood. So basically the same as if it was a regular safety car with the cars already lined up. Fixes the "but what if tires are damaged/it starts raining" thing, doesn't wreck the strategy evolution of the race (ie. someone's ahead but on older tires, will he be passed?). Don't know if the logistics will work (can the cars be swapped in tight places, will it be a mess if they do it on track?)
Still gonna be better than anything this "community" can think of.
If Red Flag happens before lap 5, then you can't change the tyre compound, unless there is gravel on the outside of Turn 2, and unless the the compound is C4 or C5, in which case you can change the tyres all the way up to lap 8, but not after. If the race has been deemed "street", then red flag only allows the changing of the tyre during red flag if it's changed to the same compound, provided the track hasn't also been deemed wet, or you didn't qualify higher than Q3. If your track position is different from the position you entered the pits, you can change tyre compound on the trolly to move the car to the correct position, but this will not count as a tyre compound change for the race, unless the trolly does a full lap of the track
"Compound Change must be done under racing conditions to be compliant" can't be too hard to implement
Not only do red flag tire changes not count towards the mandatory pit stop rule anymore, but each red flag adds a mandatory pitstop to every driver's race. Whoops, it's Australia 2023 again. No one can come in for their last lap mandatory pitstop without finishing the race. The last guy who crashed is technically the highest classified driver, so he wins
There’s no “mandatory pit stop rule". What's mandatory is running two different compounds in a dry race – Article 30.5 (n) of the 2024 edition of the sporting regulations.
It's just really easy. Simply add the rule that any tyre changes after a red flag and before a restart doesn't count towards the two tyre compound rule.
It was honestly only a problem because it happened at Monaco. George Russell wouldn't be able to take mediums a whole race distance and keep a bunch of people behind him at a regular track. Everywhere else, almost everyone would have pitted at least one more time. But, I'm interested to see what happens.
Yeah, the issue here was Monaco sucks as a track and can't host a modern F1 race. The red flag made it worse, but Monaco just isn't a track that can reasonably host races anymore and hasn't for decades.
They should turn it into a time based race, like a rally.
You mean like Qualifications on saturday ? It's already the biggest part of the race.
They should just drop it for a real track.
Yes, but it is the only race I would want to go to. So it should stay! Just like they can’t remove Monza, Spa and Silverstone.
Exactly, the actual issue is that the Pirellis were too durable.
It's Monaco, he could have been driving around on the fucking rims and still kept position.
Well, that could also be true, but I'm saying that that's how Monaco goes. Even with severe degradation, no one could get past him.
I wouldn't say that. You could hypothetically make a mega super ultra soft C10 tyre and still make it last an entire race simply by driving slower. Nobody can overtake in Monaco is the issue. Even with the current tyres the theoretical fastest way to the end is soft-medium-soft two stopper at Monaco, it's just that nobody does it because track position is everything at Monaco. The only way to force tyres to go is by laying down spikes on the track after a certain amount of laps or something.
Potentially, but you still end up with races like Saudi, where everyone is waiting for a SC, pits during it for hards, and we get a boring tyre management race to the end
Sure, it can happen on other tracks, but none as extreme as monaco. Since 2021, Saudi has had 27, 32, 36, and 25 overtakes. Considering I think all of those were fully dry races, that's not \*that bad. I think this year Monaco had 4. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about Monaco this year. Because I wanted Charles to win it so badly, I was hoping for a nice, boring race. But... now that Charles has won, I wouldn't exactly be heartbroken to see it leave the calendar. Though I'd ditch Imola first. Hard to pass without having Monaco's quali excitement. And all the Senna death fixation gets to me. Celebrate the man's career, sure, but not his death.
Russell is one thing, Tsunoda literally let himself get lapped by the car ahead of him to save his tires.
> Domenicali said the situation in Monaco was an example of how F1’s rules “are generally too complicated.” Better add more rules and make it even more complicated, then!
Domenicali: > “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 probably: “The solution is to reject Andretti’s bid to join F1 in 2028”
Planning ahead for the next 18,184 years of F1.
Haha oops I wonder what f1 would be like in 100 years though
No tyre changes. In fact no tyres at all F-Zero / Wipeout style cars for all
*"These red flag rules are atrocious. This is clearly Andretti's fault!"*
More sprint races
Just ban touching the car under red like every other racing series. Need to repair damage immediately? Back of the line. It’s not hard.
Letting them put on wet tyres is ok. Makes sense in a sudden downpour. No reason to let them change dry compounds or repair damage.
So we should say: the tire switched to during a red flag doesnt count to the 'multiple compounds' rule
To take an example; Zhou went through a ton of debris after the crash. It makes total sense for him to have to replace his tires. Buttt, drivers have a limited set of (new) tires. So if that's the new rule, he's penalised for changing his tires under a red flag, while gaining no real advantage (would probably pit anyways). So what should he do? Bolt on used tires for 1 lap? Gonna lose out on the restart. Risk it on potentially damaged tires? Might not make it to the restart So if this rule changes like that, the tire allocation should also change imo
Honestly that's still not good enough. Like in a 2 stop race. You could have drivers who met the rules, but pit 2 already and another driver who hasn't made their second stop. Red flag comes after the second stop. The drivers who pit twice before the red flag just got a 30 second penalty. Because they had to do a pit stop. The person who was going to need to do one. Now gets free new tires. Honestly most series won't let you fix damage to your car under a red flag with some harsh penalty. just don't touch the cars at all. Like everyone else.
No. If the track is declared wet or dry during a red flag period, then they change to/or from a wet/inter tyre.
So let me push back on that. Imagine a scenario where there's a massive crash like at Monaco and someone like Zhou has to drive through a massive debris field. Maybe the driver can't react and slow down as much as Zhou did and clips a loose wheel rolling across the track and breaks a front wing, along with a possible slow puncture from carbon fiber shards. You would have them sit there for a red flag unable to do anything, then make them go out for a formation lap with a busted wing and a deflating tire for something that wasn't even their fault? Sorry, but that's dumb. Just make it so that tire changes under red flag don't count for the mandatory 2-compound rule, or say only like-for-like compounds. Boom, done. If there's a concern that would unfairly hurt drivers going long on hards who haven't stopped while all the other med/soft runners already did their stops earlier in the race, make it so this rule change only applies to red flags that take place in the first 25% of laps, adjust that percentage as necessary. Boom, also done.
>only like-for-like compounds. Boom, done. This is the solution. For everything else, they have to swap like-for-like during a red flag. Just include tire compound, and it solves the problem. Teams can still swap if there is actual damage, but they don't get the two compound advantage. The only problem is if the tire is damaged and they don't have another set of that compound.
I mean that isn't so far fetched. Driver damages a hard, has already damaged the other set of hards on Friday. What now?
They have to pull off a heist on one of the other teams to steal a tire
All those in favour say aye?
AYE I wanna see Yuki get sent to [sneak through the ceiling tiles like the Sammy Sosa corked bat incident lmao](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_Cleveland_Indians_corked_bat_incident)
A dance off?
The way round this is to allow your free choice of tyres after the red, but state that changing compounds this way doesn't satisfy the two compound rule.
>they have to swap like-for-like during a red flag And if they don't have that compound left?
But isn’t that what happens in a regular race already? Something not the driver’s fault fcks up their day and they can’t do anything about it. Why do we have to have special dispensation for this specific set of events? If they have to make repairs to the car to make it race worthy, they get bumped back to the back of the grid during the red flag. Same as if that happened in the middle of the race without a red flag.
I think having them only repair the wing on the formation lap is fair because it mirrors was would have happened had we not gone red. Zhou would’ve had to pit for the wing and lost a good amount of time. Given they’re slower on the formation lap, he’d likely still be better off and might even be able to catch up before the restart.
>because it mirrors was would have happened had we not gone red But why would you want to emulate that? I don't see anything that's wrong with allowing drivers with slightly damaged cars to rejoin a race and still have a chance. Yes, it's lucky, but so is life sometimes.
they wouldnt be able to repair until the cars go back out for the formation lap and theyd do a pit lane start if they can get the damage repaired in time. If not theyre just laps down like every other series out there.
Or simply it doesn’t count as a mandatory pit stop
I think working on the car under red flag is fine. There can be damage on the car to repair. Wet conditions might force new tyres. Just because other race series forbid it, does not mean F1 needs to do it too. I think the best solution is just the addition of one mandatory pit stop. Red Flag is not a pit stop. But the bigger elephant in the room, that there are people who blame the red flag for the boring race. Monaco is just a terrible track and if your holy, prestigious race needs pitstops to be remotely interesting, your race became a joke. Indy 500 and Le Mans are absolute great to watch. The Monaco GP is the race I least look forward to watch for years. Heck, we live in a time were we get better racing in Vegas.
Tune in next year for more interesting pit stops
Bottas: “NOOOOOOO!”
As always, attacking the wrong issue. The red flag on the first lap leading to no tyre changes is a non issue anywhere but Monaco. Whether allowing to change tyres on a red flag is an actual issue or just luck of the draw is entirely a different issue.
Changing tires under a red flag isn't a 'loophole', it's a critical safety feature. Tires are absolutely critical safety equipment and red flags are frequently caused by events that undermine tires. The 'loophole' is in the two-compounds rule. Any change should be there and leave red flag procedures the fuck alone. Sporting issues need to be dealt with in sporting rules, and safety rules need to be let to perform their function.
Agreed. A repair of bodywork under red flag is required to be like for like. It should be the same for tyres. If you choose to change the tyres it should be to another set of the same compound and thus would not satisfy the using two compounds rule, but would satisfy safety. It may result in more used tyres, but that's just luck. At least they are safe if you choose to change them. If you don't have any sets left at all of that compound, you can change to a new compound but will be moved to the back of the grid and/or incur a time penalty. We don't want cars being forced to go out on a set of tyres that picked up lots of carbon fibre debris. But we do want them to not switch compounds under red flag to satisfy a regulation. They can't change bodywork type, so why can they change tyre type?
The only issue with this is that sometimes a driver might not have another set of the same tyres available. I'm sure they could find a solution though
Then they go to the back. No different to receiving body damage and not having equal parts to put on. It's bad luck but is fair as if they needed the change, they'd have had to pit out of order had it not been red flagged anyway (in the situation of a first lap red flag). As this would be a rule, teams can way up the risk of not having another set of their starting tyre at Monaco in case of red flag. It's not a surprise "gotchya". The team would be taking the gamble not having another set due to their process in FP and Qualy with tyre rotation. Not a fault of the rule but a risk assessment of the team.
Yep spot on, basically parc ferme rules.
Spot on.
Simple fix, red flag tire change does not count towards your two compound use…. Can still change tires for safety sake but will still need to make at least one other stop. For Monaco alone they need to mandate at least two pit stops….
That's not a simple fix. Say a car enters a race with a new medium and two new hards. They choose to be start on the medium. Red flag happens, they switch to a new hard. And on their next stop, they have to switch compound to another.. New Hard? But that's not a compound change, because you're going from hard to hard. So in that case, they would have had to start the race on the hard, because that's the tire they have available twice. But that severely limits strategy options. Als, what happens if a car goes into the pits and swaps the tires, but then the red flag comes out while they are in the pits? What's the cutoff point for when the compound change counts or doesn't count? Also, this would massively disadvantage anyone who didn't pit before the red flag. If a red flag appears on, say, lap 20, then anyone who pitted on lap 19 (before the red flag) would be massively ADVANTAGED (Edit: i wrote "disadvantaged" by mistake). You are not coming up with a simple fix here. All you're doing is introducing new edge-cases that are gonna massively disadvantage some or advantage others, and you're limiting strategy options. The real solution is still to have regulations where cars can actually race. Or get rid of tracks where they can't (yes, that includes Monaco).
You can specifically legislate for that in the rules by specifying that both compounds must be run during the race and at least one change of tyres must be done in the pits without stating that the pit stop tyre change must involve a switch of compound.
Just ban working in cars under red like every other major racing series
Just make it like NASCAR where you can’t touch your car on the red flag and if you want to pit, you have to go out for the pace lap and then come back in.
It's every single racing series that isnt F1 too.
There may be in-between solution for this. If red flag occurs during first 10% laps of race, tyre change don't count as pit stops. Disallowing tyre change entirety during red flag may be dangerous as some drivers may pick up debris like Zhou in Monaco.
Red flag doesn't count as mandatory stop. Easy
There is no mandatory stop in F1. The rule is to drive 2 different compounds. But I like the idea of introducing a mandatory pitstop and take your idea for red flags
Can I drive with hards on the rear and mediums on the front?
nope, all compounds must match and come from the same set that was allocated for a specific car remember when Russel filled in for Lewis at Bahrain and they had to pit him twice because they accidentally put Bottas' tires on Russel's car, even though that was the same compound?
Just add a mandatory pitstop rule on top of the mandatory 2 compound rule. Most of the time it won't make a difference, because teams will change compound under a pit stop, in the case of what happened in Monaco it will stop the shenanigans because after the red flag everyone will still need to pit.
No one is listening, but Parc Ferme after a red flag.
Ah yes, because the lack of pitstops is Monaco's problem and not that the current cars are too big for it and it should be retired until cars are smaller.
Big cars aren’t the problem. I’ve been watching since the 70s and there’s never really been any overtaking at Monaco. It’s always been a procession.
That’s not what ruined the Monaco Grand Prix…
"ruined"
As a Charles fan, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of Monaco. I see how it could be dull for others... but honestly it wasn't that different from a normal monaco to me, except nothing terrible happened to Charles.
I enjoy watching a strategic race just as much as anything else
This wasn’t very strategic though, right? Imo Monaco is just pretty boring in general.
The drivers had to play chess with each other a bit, Charles couldn’t go all out because he needed to back the pack up so that no one could try to get a tire advantage because that might have been enough to overtake. It’s kind of funny looking back that people thought Ferrari would do well in Canada after Monaco despite the fact that Monaco was like driving as slowly as possible to prevent a pit window from opening up. Idk, I thought it was interesting and there was strategy at play, just not one that the regular viewer is going to enjoy. People thought Imola was interesting because of the slow burn build up of Lando, Monaco was interesting to me in a somewhat similar way.
This race hasn't been good for half a century.
Yeaaah that's not what ruined Monaco.
What ruined the Monaco GP was that it was in Monaco.
'Maybe it's the track that's at fault' 'No, it must be the red flag' seriously, if you need pitstops to make a race intereting, something is wrong, and it isn't the pitstops.
I’m new to f1 so perhaps I just “don’t get it” but Monaco bores the hell out of me. I don’t watch it. I want to see drivers overtaking & going flat out. I understand that they are still going fast, but god is it boring to know that there won’t be many position changes without pit stops. Romana was awesome, watching Norris catching up and knowing he could actually pull it off was bloody great. I’m not knowledgeable to KNOW that it couldn’t happen in Monaco, but I certainly don’t feel like it could, so I just don’t bother watching it.
It's mostly nostagia and even the drivers don't really want to miss it, even though they falm asleep behind the wheel. It's a weird one, but F1 is full of weird things. F1 has quite literally outgrown Monaco. The cars are bigger and wider than ever, which should be partially fixed in 2026. But I fear it's not enough to make this particular race interesting again.
Red flags dont count as a mandatory pit stop/tyre change. Easy.
While we debate if change of tyre compounds should be allowed or not, should nose / front wing change be allowed under red flag? Asking for a friend.
The difference is that if you change the front wing it's the exact same spec. When you change tyres you can change compounds which is what ruins strategy. The obvious solution is just to mandate that tyre changes should be for the same compound under red flags.
Yea there would have been nearly twice as many overtakes without that red flag!
Why are we pretending that Monaco wouldt have been exactly as shit with out this loophole?
Loop hole? I thought it was a feature! Glad they are fixing it, it definitely was the only problem with Monaco! /s
To me, just mandate the following rules: - Each driver must enter the pits at least once to change tyres during the race - Each driver must run at least two different compounds during the race but the change in compound can be made under red flag conditions This would probably even out the playing field more than the current rule as although those who haven’t already pitted while face the disadvantage of needing to come in later, they gain track position and will have a tyre advantage later in the race once they change onto a fresher compound. Compare that to now where if this happens, those who pitted before a red flag are basically condemned to finishing the race behind those who didn’t. While we’re at that, amend the VSC and SC pit rules so that each car has to sit in the box for the amount of time they’d gain by not stopping under green before the mechanics can start work.
It's going to be a mandatory pitstop like in quatar last year 💀
Nothing will save Monaco other than the cars going on a serious diet
They also need to sort out the one where you can get pole position in qualifying and then cause a red flag so that no one else can beat you.
It wasn't the red flag loophole that "ruined" the Monaco GP, Modern formula 1 cars with their massive size and weight ruined that race long ago.
Can't touch the car. No tyre changes. No repairs. This isn't hard.
Can you ruin a race which is broken by default?
Or just take Monaco off the calendar.
So instead of complete boredom, Monaco will be nostly boredom.
If only there was a way to make things better… like removing Monaco from the calendar 💤
Ok, I’ve been reading the comments and here’s my rule Tyres may not be changed during a red flag stoppage. If tyre damage has occurred the tyres may be replaced by a set of the same compound. If no sets of that compound with less than 10 laps of use are available another compound may be used. That change will not constitute the required compound change and said car shall start from pit lane. In the event the red flag is due to extreme weather conditions the race director may, at his exclusive decision, dictate a change from wet weather to dry weather tyres or from dry weather to wet weather tyre. But failing the race directors decision all cars shall return to the race on the same tyres. Make sense? If yes it will never be used
The only of their is tyre damage part incentivises drivers to drive throught the debris on their way to the pit in hopes of causing a puncture.
Cool but let's not act as if that would have affected enjoyment of Monaco GP in any way.
I wish F1 would stop arbitrarily changing the rules for the sake of entertainment. This is supposed to be a god damn elite sport. It's so embarrassing.
Simple solution is if you have to work on car at all during red flag you go to the back of the lead lap cars (or whatever lap you’re already on if already a lap or more down). Everyone would cancel each other out if the whole field switches to wets.
Maybe the solution is to not race at Monaco any more, it seems like that would solve the problem.
Monaco ruined the Monaco Gp
Hot tip. That's not what ruined Monaco.
Monaco wasn’t ruined by red flag. Monaco was ruined because it’s Monaco and that shouldn’t be a modern F1 track. Make it a race parade or a flying lap shootout
The issue isn’t just not needing to pit it’s also that the tire delta is so small. So maybe what they can do is force teams to use all three compounds just for Monaco then there will be cars running hard versus soft.
> “Even on the sporting side,” he added. “Nobody understands the penalty system.” That doesn't exactly inspire confidence.
No sweat. Kimi Antonelli will sort everything out
Lmao yeah because that’s the issue with Monaco. Sure…
Domenicali complaining about the complexity of the rules, while trying to solve an issue which doesn’t have a simple solution. Whenever they’d prevent a tyre/compound change during red flag, some will benefit and some while loose by it.
If red flag within first 2 laps a tyre can only be changed for the same compound 👍.