![]() Should the rules have been clearly and gravely breached, it would, after all, be their duty to do so. There is absolutely nothing to stop the stewards from looking at the incident for which the Race Director issued the ‘conduct’ flag and determine that it was worthy of actual punishment. READ MORE: Leclerc's driving was 'maybe a little bit over the edge', says Toto Wolff Because it comes from a completely different place. The flag isn’t issued in place of a penalty. What it does not do is legalise the illegal, as some seem to be intentionally misunderstanding. It also tells them that they’re on notice. It tells them to tuck their elbows in and get on with things and not to push their luck. As Race Director, Masi has taken it upon himself to issue the ‘conduct’ flag to racers who are skirting on the edge of acceptability. That honour falls to Michael Masi, the FIA Race Director.Īnd this is, possibly, the most important part of all. “Ahh,” you say, “but Leclerc was shown a black and white ‘conduct’ flag.” Well yes, he was. ![]() Had the stewards deemed it necessary, they could have investigated the incident and done something about it. The argument could easily be made that if Leclerc hadn’t proactively taken a defensive line, then given the manner in which the regulations are worded, it’s unclear as to whether he needed to leave a car’s width. READ MORE: ‘The new generation get away with a lot more’ – read Lewis Hamilton’s view on his tense battle with Leclerc The rules are pretty clear on leaving a car’s width when returning to the racing line in a defensive move, however there’s some debate over whether Leclerc had actually moved his line into a defensive one on the exit of Curva Grande or if he was simply maintaining the only place on track that he could given the positioning of Hamilton’s car on the inside. Charles Leclerc was shown the black and white flag during his fight for the lead of the race with Lewis Hamilton. Now, let’s look at Monza because that’s what created all the hullabaloo. Its dusting off, then, would be to act as a warning to a racer that they were getting close to, or might have already poked their toes over, the line of racing acceptability. The ‘unsportsmanlike conduct’ flag simply fell out of use. In all fairness, it was never officially retired. But only a touch.Īnd as part of this, the black and white flag would be reintroduced. Merely that the tolerance level would be lifted. That’s not to say they would be allowed to transgress or break the rules. What this new approach from race control would do, then, is to make good on a promise made at the start of this season: to let racers race. The approach of absolutes, of black or white, right or wrong, left no room for nuance or to make a valued judgement on the individual instance. As such, applying the rules consistently when subjective decisions need to be made on a unique sequence of events proves almost impossible. No two incidents are ever or will ever be identical to one which has gone before. What’s also important to consider, when looking at racing incidents, is the fact that every single one is entirely unique. And it’s here that we would do well to remember that inherent in good racing and good race craft is not just the wherewithal to attack, but the ability and the right to defend. Elbows out, on the limit, decent, hard racing. Drivers, teams and fans wanted to see racing. And from the discussions that resulted from that race result and the following event in Austria, a slight shift was enacted in race control. But when taken on their absolute terms, the rules decreed that he had erred not once but twice and so a penalty was the only avenue available for those with the unenviable task of adjudicating race incidents. The penalty Sebastian Vettel received at this year’s Canadian Grand Prix left a bitter taste, not just for his and Ferrari’s fans, but for the sport in general. READ MORE: FIA explain use of F1’s ‘yellow card’ for Leclerc at Monza ![]() And yet, interestingly enough, that’s where we have to start. If that were the case I’d have tried and failed to defend what went down in Montreal. Not because I have to toe a party line, you understand. The reintroduction to Formula 1 of the use of the black and white flag has created as much controversy as it was intending to avoid. But is the rise of the black and white flag an invitation for the drivers to now breach the rules – but just the once? Not by a long shot, argues F1’s Digital Presenter Will Buxton… There was controversy at the Italian Grand Prix when race leader Charles Leclerc was shown a black and white driving standards flag, rather than receiving a penalty, for his extreme defensive driving against Lewis Hamilton.
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