"I don’t know why we need to go through all that when yesterday was fine.
A red flag penalises cars that have made pits already and drivers who have made up places already.
Wet races in open wheel cars are always going to add risk but I feel yesterday was on the good side of risk."
The conditions were unsafe, end of discussion.. There is a margin of safety and we should all be respectful of how quickly it can go from fun and exciting to tragic..
My argument is that race directors it is very obvious have taken a "only valid for today" point of view without thinking about the long term consequences, we need to think ahead of other venues, Spa, Canada, Japan, where rain is a huge issue, how do we balance racing and red flag for safety..
The 2025 British Grand Prix was best case scenario for use of a 30 minute red flag, sure some drivers will benefit, others less so.. We can only look at Canada 2011, and how Mr J Button Esq [GOAT] both benefited and was somewhat given a raw deal in the race, but he did not finish where he did because of the red flag...
Red Flags stop on track accidents that occur as a result of aqua-planing, having a 6 to 10 lap parade does not achieve any useful racing, it creates issues, mistakes occur, accidents occur...
I concede that Sunday could have gone Spa 2021, race, rain, red flag, go home..Or it could have gone race red flag, race, flag, winner chicken dinner..
Had there been a red flag, we waited 30/45 minutes, the sun comes out, drying track, 10 laps, softs, maybe Hulk would have 2nd... We will of course never know, but there was no risk to waiting 30/45 minutes, getting hot choc high's from the sugar.. We had a red flag in 2011 in Canada, and that was by far the best race in F1 history.. No question.
We don't want stupid fatal accidents from nervous race directors, from the FIA lacking any ability to make a decision.. Sure yes some will be pissy about a red flag, but they are few compared to the hordes of pissed off lawyers if there is a fatal, racing and rain is dangerous, and there is a point where maybe it should really be a red flag..
If you set a hot dry lap time, and then it rains, and you are X seconds behind, this is your new wet delta time, and if you then during the race are Y seconds slower as a result of wet track, almost to the point of monsoon, at that point, maybe a red flag.. I hate red flags, I want racing, I don't want anyone ever to edit a damned obit piece..They suck, I have done too many obits and I hate doing them.. Really ruins the mood...
We had 2 fatal accidents in F1 in the more recent past, ok, F1 weekends, Jules Bianchi and Antoine Hubert, as a result rules and procedures are changed, but even so, we see less and less observance of the new rules.. Marshalls taking risks, yellow flags left on, when it should be a safety car, or worse a VSC instead of a safety car...
Sliverstone 2025 there was a point at which maybe monsoon tyres, and at that point, really what is gained? The risk is way too high for the meager reward, RED FLAG, wait, life is exactly that, sometimes you call it right, other times you just end up busted..
RED FLAGS benefit every team, some sure have small gains, other even more, the fact is, not red flagging the GP was a mistake, and only luck saved the drivers, maybe one day, they will admit that maybe yes, a red was correct..
What I cannot accept is any argument that says a red is bad, how can that be? Bad in what way? Worse than a 10 lap stupid parade that sees 3 to 5 cars in the hedge, a driver in hospital? A cancelled race as it takes too long to repair the barrier back to homolgation? That is better than a 45 min red flag???