2021 Qatar Grand Prix - Losail, Nov 19-21

[Marty_Y]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/59360352

Lewis Hamilton takes dominant pole position for Qatar Grand Prix

By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

After qualifying, Verstappen was issued with a summons by the stewards for allegedly not respecting double-waved yellow flags at the end of the final session, when Gasly was slowing with a punctured front tyre.

The hearing will be at 13:00 local time (10:00 GMT), so there will be no decision on Saturday.

If found guilty, Verstappen is likely to be handed a grid drop of in the region of three or five places.

Bottas and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz have also been summoned to see the stewards - for the slightly lesser offence of not respecting single waved yellow flags for the same incident.

[214270]

A car stopped off track is almost always double waved yellows, and sometimes red. In this case pulled over near the pit wall, the double yellows are most definitely warranted.

To be clear, if race control's intention was to leave this part of the track green under those circumstances, there is something VERY wrong with race control...

Race control signalled clear track.

[Bargesmops]

My first thought was slam dunk penalty.. But thinking it more through, I got thinking., what is to gain if he had seen the yellow? With the new rule, nothing? So making the case not seeing the marshal post and acting on all the other signals seems logical. You might put blame to the marshling system, and punishing drivers for pourly information.... The times were not deleted directly afterwards where they? First post so be easy on me.

[west52keep64]

A car stopped off track is almost always double waved yellows, and sometimes red. In this case pulled over near the pit wall, the double yellows are most definitely warranted.

To be clear, if race control's intention was to leave this part of the track green under those circumstances, there is something VERY wrong with race control...

Race control signalled clear track.

The marhsal post flags take priority.

[Incognito]

Race control signalled clear track.

That's an accurate but irrelevant observation.

[west52keep64]

They specifically signalled a clear track at "sector 20", which appears to the light board indicated on this map (below). The double yellows were waved at marshal post 26, further along the track.

[siskue2005]

A car stopped off track is almost always double waved yellows, and sometimes red. In this case pulled over near the pit wall, the double yellows are most definitely warranted.

To be clear, if race control's intention was to leave this part of the track green under those circumstances, there is something VERY wrong with race control...

Race control signalled clear track.

This is what Vettel was saying previously....they changed to clear so fast! maybe for Max!

Vettel “It’s a bit of a shame because I had the yellow flag in the last sector and then the yellow flag cleared, I guess, because Max was coming.”
https://www.racefans.net/2021/11/20/vet ... as-coming/

[Mogster]

The question is why were race control signalling “clear track” when it obviously wasn’t.

Maybe Seb’s right and they were desperate for Max to get his lap in…

[Oehrly]

The whole thing is a bit ridiculous. According to the electronic system, the yellows were shown two times and both times removed again within seconds. The following data is taken from the API that provides the data for the live timing in the official app and is consistent with what was indicated in the TV graphics.

Timestamps are relative to the start of Q1

Track Status
00:59:50.655000 Yellow
00:59:54.269000 AllClear
01:00:01.895000 Yellow
01:00:06.245000 AllClear


Verstappen entered the last sector at 01:00:17:740 and finished his lap at 01:00:45.283
Bottas entered the last sector at 01:00:03.257 and finished his lap at 01:00:31.026

Now, if this is consistent with what is registered in the official timing system, then we know what the teams will be arguing.
Nevertheless, what is shown on track should always be what drivers need to adhere to. But the fact that flags were shown twice and cleared again but still waved more than half a minute later does not make this look very good in terms of trackside communications.

[west52keep64]

But that's just the automated light system, that doesn't include the marshal flags, so it's a moot point.

[El Scorchio]

The process has to be led by the marshals or it’ll take too long. Can you imagine the following?

Marshal: hi? Race control? Yeah, we have a car broken down on track just before corner 12. Would like permission to wave a yellow flag on your say so.

Race control: is it definitely on track or just off it? Few more details please and I’ll tell you if it should be yellow, double yellow or red and we’ll just activate the electrical sys…

Marshal: race control, we have a five car pile up. Send lots of ambulances.

The marshals have to react instantly and the drivers have to obey instantly, even if the light ans dash system takes a bit longer to kick in.

[search]

A car stopped off track is almost always double waved yellows, and sometimes red. In this case pulled over near the pit wall, the double yellows are most definitely warranted.

To be clear, if race control's intention was to leave this part of the track green under those circumstances, there is something VERY wrong with race control...

definitely. If anyone made a mistake there, it's race control, not the marshal

[Incognito]

Could Gasly have made the pit entrance? I'm not sure where it is relative to his incident.

[Just_a_fan]

I don't see how the summonsed drivers can hope to get away without a penalty. Ignoring yellow flags is one of the cardinal sins of circuit racing. It doesn't really matter if the flag is in error - the driver can not know that in the moment and so must always assume the flag is correct and comply accordingly. It's no different to Mexico 2019 - waved yellows visible in plenty of time. 3 place grid penalty that time so presumably the same will happen here for Max, Bottas and Sainz.

[siskue2005]

The process has to be led by the marshals or it’ll take too long. Can you imagine the following?

Marshal: hi? Race control? Yeah, we have a car broken down on track just before corner 12. Would like permission to wave a yellow flag on your say so.

Race control: is it definitely on track or just off it? Few more details please and I’ll tell you if it should be yellow, double yellow or red and we’ll just activate the electrical sys…

Marshal: race control, we have a five car pile up. Send lots of ambulances.

The marshals have to react instantly and the drivers have to obey instantly, even if the light ans dash system takes a bit longer to kick in.