Pilots are divided on the current format of the red flag, which keeps the stopwatch running
Two red flags disrupted both practice sessions in Abu Dhabi. Daniel Ricciardo has come up with a new format that sparks debate among the drivers.
There were new red flags during the tests in Abu Dhabi. During FP2, it was Carlos Sainz Jr who initially crashed. He once again fell victim to irregularities on the track. After the session resumed, it was Nico Hülkenberg who, after a spin, ended up in the barrier at the first corner.
Following these two accidents, the session was truncated, with a shortened duration of 37 minutes.
Stop the timer
In this context, the drivers were unable to complete the laps they wanted. Knowing that FP1 was led by 10 rookies, the regular drivers did not obtain a lot of data. Following these issues, Daniel Ricciardo would like the red flag regime to be reconsidered and adapted. « If there’s no one on track, it would be good to stop the stopwatch », said the former McLaren driver. « I did FP1, but many drivers didn’t, so they’re just left with a few reconnaissance laps. It would have been nice to maybe recover some time. It’s something we can discuss during the drivers’ meeting. »
Nico Hülkenberg was unable to resume the second session. However, the German agrees with his opponent at AlphaTauri. « “I think that’s a very fair point,” added the Haas driver. There are obviously complications. The rest of the schedule should be changed, as well as the television timings. It’s probably not as simple as we think. But obviously, we lost 20 valuable minutes with the repair of the barrier following Carlos’ accident. This will probably be a topic of discussion in the future. »
A mixed perspective
Despite this problem, not all drivers share the same opinion. The schedule is very busy, with Grand Prix races almost every weekend, ceremonies, sprints. As a result, some members of the paddock do not support Daniel Ricciardo’s proposal. « “I don’t think we need changes because it’s the same for everyone,” explained Valtteri Bottas. « “Besides, we have too much practice today. Three is too much. We don’t need it anymore with the simulation tools and simulators we now have.” »
The qualifications will take place on Saturday starting from 3 p.m.
