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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