The peculiarity of the free tyre change that’s allowed beneath Components 1’s purple flag guidelines has lengthy been a supply of frustration to drivers.
When the state of affairs crops up, prefer it did in Brazil final weekend and on the Monaco GP in Might, those that are caught on the unsuitable aspect of issues bemoan the sheer randomness of it.
In Monaco, it was all about how the exhausting compound starters have been compromised by the first-lap purple flag that allowed all of the medium runners a free change to the exhausting.
At Interlagos, George Russell, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc have been all left ruing what they’d misplaced by switching to contemporary inters as worsening rain arrived, whereas people who carried on in difficult situations bought a free tyre change after Franco Colapinto’s big crash.
The obvious luck of the draw is one thing that again and again will get criticised, and but nobody has give you the fairer resolution.
Again on the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Norris was operating sixth early on when he made a cease beneath security automotive situations for Mick Schumacher’s accident – which dropped him to 14th.
In idea, it was about enjoying the lengthy sport as these forward of him that didn’t cease would wish to take action beneath full race situations afterward – so lose extra time.
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, makes a pit cease
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photos
Nonetheless, his plan fell flat when a purple flag was introduced out, which handed everybody forward of him a free cease and left the Briton caught down the order.
Talking afterwards, his criticisms of issues have been much like what he stated on Sunday night time after Brazil.
“After all, I am all the time on the unhealthy finish of it, so it in all probability sucks extra for me than anybody, however I feel it is only a very unfair rule that must be taken away,” he stated.
“I feel they need to change it to at least one necessary pit cease with two completely different tyre units wanted for use, after which I feel that is acceptable.
“However this simply ruins all the pieces, to be trustworthy. You set a lot effort in for it to be taken away for some silly rule.”
However whereas the unfairness side is the factor that annoys drivers probably the most, final weekend’s race at Interlagos has put into focus one other issue that’s barely extra worrying.
It’s that in a moist race like Interlagos the place situations are worsening and there’s the potential for a purple flag, drivers are nearly inspired to remain out on far-from-perfect rubber for much longer than they ideally would.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who stopped beneath the VSC situations triggered by Nico Hulkenberg’s off, stated that the rain that was coming down had left the monitor treacherous – however the lead vehicles clearly felt it definitely worth the danger of staying out.
“I don’t assume we anticipated it to rain as a lot because it did after which actually, the hardest a part of the race was behind the protection automotive, making an attempt to remain on the monitor,” stated the Australian.
“I feel it form of uncovered a little bit of the difficulty we’ve with the moist tyre – when everyone seems to be begging for a purple flag however refusing to go onto the moist tyre as a result of it’s so unhealthy.
“A reasonably harmful state of affairs to have vehicles actually struggling to remain on the monitor behind the protection automotive. But it surely’s probably not something new. Hopefully, we will attempt to a minimum of change it now.”
Esteban Ocon, Alpine A524, Max Verstappen, Purple Bull Racing RB20, on the restart
Photograph by: Lubomir Asenov / Motorsport Photos
Race winner Max Verstappen, whose victory was made simpler by the purple flag state of affairs, admitted that issues have been proper on the knife edge as he stayed out – however there was no means he was going to cease.
“When some pitted, the rain was coming, we stayed out, which was very sketchy,” defined the Dutchman.
“After which I noticed Esteban [Ocon] in entrance of me flying, like 4 seconds a lap sooner and I used to be like, ‘I am simply comfortable to maintain the automotive on the monitor’.
“At one level it was simply, we’d like a purple flag. It was simply undriveable, even on excessive tyres.”
Ferrari staff principal Fred Vasseur, who had pitted Leclerc early however had dropped him into site visitors, conceded that the difficulty groups face is playing on staying out and never crashing.
“For positive you’ll be able to say on the finish of the day, if you happen to keep on monitor, ready for the purple flag, it is the fitting name,” he stated. “However if you happen to crash, you look silly…”
McLaren staff boss Andrea Stella stated that, with situations worsening, there was a security side to the state of affairs – and that whereas there have been aggressive features available by staying out and hoping for a purple flag, in his thoughts there was just one plan of action he most well-liked.
Talking concerning the Brazil podium finishers who all stayed out, Stella stated: “I’m right here congratulating them on their selections.
“However personally, I’m not very snug to depart a automotive on the market that has tyres which are fairly worn with that quantity of water. With out the purple flag we might be commenting on a special race.”
The way in which to cease drivers from taking the gamble and pushing on with unsuitable tyres would theoretically be solved by not permitting the free tyre change that’s allowed within the laws.
If drivers knew {that a} purple flag wouldn’t enable them a free swap, then selections on which tyre to decide to can be based mostly purely on which is best suited to the situations – and never a lot about playing in sticking it out when situations are too dire within the hope of being saved by a stoppage.
However the purple flag guidelines are in place for security causes and never aggressive ones. It has lengthy been accepted that altering tyres must be allowed beneath purple flag situations due to the danger of particles from accidents inflicting punctures or different points.
Forcing drivers to stay to their present tyres when there’s a likelihood they may have run over damaged carbon fibre of different elements on the monitor, or been concerned in an accident themselves, can be an unbelievable security danger and lunacy to have within the guidelines.
There have, nevertheless, been quite a few solutions previously of the way to doubtlessly enhance issues and make them fairer.
One concept, that might finest work for dry races to keep away from the potential for a free cease, can be to permit groups to alter tyres within the stops – but when they needed to it must be for a similar compound.
This state of affairs would forestall what occurred in Monaco, and in addition make sure that drivers who had stopped to change compounds beneath full race situations weren’t unfairly punished.
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Group VCARB 01, makes a pit cease
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photos
Nonetheless, it will not have prevented penalising drivers in Brazil as a result of the inter is finally the most effective tyre for the rain – as a result of by the point the complete moist is introduced into motion, usually visibility is so unhealthy that racing doesn’t happen.
One other concept could possibly be to permit the groups the choice to alter tyres if they’re broken, but when they accomplish that they’ve to tug themselves out of the race order and drop to the again.
That means, there wouldn’t be an incentive to remain out longer than obligatory in difficult situations – as a result of finally if there’s a purple flag the drawback could possibly be higher if you should change rubber. And if you happen to really feel you might be nonetheless on the fitting tyres, you’ll be able to maintain them on and take your cease later.
Or what about Norris’s suggestion after Saudi 2021, of tweaking the sporting guidelines to demand that every driver makes a compulsory cease beneath regular race situations, no matter a purple flag?
All these concepts are issues which have been mentioned, and drivers have their very own opinions about what might be performed to make it higher – however sadly, F1 has by no means moved issues ahead a lot.
Requested after Monaco whether or not he had some hope of the purple flag tyre rule being revisited by groups and the FIA, he stated: “I do not know. There are lots of issues that they haven’t modified, in all probability as a result of they do not take heed to the drivers.”
5 months his phrases nonetheless seem to ring true.
