Blue Flags... Keep Them Or Get Rid Of Them?

[JHS 1]

wasnt that for position?

It was. If my memory serves me correctly it was through Webber's awful start and then an early pit stop. It lead to an interesting exchange of views between DC and Eddie Jordan on BBC afterwards though. DC viewing it as what was the point of Kovi racing him when he's many seconds a lap slower, Jordan saying they are on the grid and have the right to race anybody.

[HandyNZL 1]

If you took away the blue flags then you would seriously wreck the championships of the faster teams. Look at what happened in Singapore.....the idiot HRT driver (dunno who it was), held up Webber allowing Hamilton to make a move. It ended up in tears for Hamilton fans and almost ruined Webber's bid for WDC. If that HRT hadn't been in the way, Hamilton wouldn't even have gotten a look in. I am no Hamilton fan but he rightfully should have been 2nd in the WDC rankings. If Webber's race had been ruined, I would have made it my goal in life to have that driver banned from ever driving in F1.

Turn back the clock to Canada....it should have been Alonso on the top step. However the crappy Lotus car's got in the way, allowing the McLaren's to overtake Alonso (TWICE! Hamilton and then Button). I am an Alonso fan and that REALLY REALLY p*ssed me off!!!!!

If you take away the blue flags you give no motivation for those crappy teams to improve. It's like telling someone who is doing a god-aweful job to "keep up the good work."

My message to the slow teams: "If you can't keep up, then F**K OFF!"

Ummmm...sorry to bring ya down, but, you just provided the perfect example as to why they should remove the blue flag get out of the way rule....if it wasn't for said HRT car...which was actually a Virgin, but I digress....you wouldn't have had Hamilton try and overtake....he USED the slower car...and besides it was on a restart after a safety car so they were bunched up more...and it was Lewis' own dumb fault for chopping in...had he given Webber racing room his pass would have stuck.

And to put your other foot in your mouth, you bring up Canada....

Dude...thanks for the advertisement for removing the rule. Those of us whom understand motorsport salute you.

[yurp 0]

the perenial complaints about backmarkers are par for the course I'm afraid. we always get a few top drivers having a whinge after their race has been compromised, but we never hear them saying thank you to a backmarker who helped them by slowing the car in front. as usual they see it only one way.

whinge whing whinge.

on blue flags - I agree with handy - get rid of them.

it's the same for everyone. get past the backmarkers on your own - your car is super superior - so use it for something. if you can't pass and get overtaken by your competitor that can, then that's your problem and you obviously aren't as good a driver.

other reasons...

it's safer (their pace won't suddenly slow to let faster drivers past so causing incidents like we've seen this year).

it's better viewing to see cars passing rather than pulling out of the way.

it's the same for everyone.

plus - the slower the back markers are, the easier it should be to overtake them.

deal with it people - stop listening to the overpaid cry babies who have an easier life in the fastest cars on the grid.

as for fairness - the bottom team's are racing for money too. money that they desperately need. more so than the redbulls, ferraris and mclarens. and yet every race they have is compromised by moving over for the big boys. hoe is that fair?

last - some of the top drivers would do well to remember that they were lower down the pecking order once upon a time and might well be again (a la kovi), so suck it up and stop being such nancies.

[blackpebel 0]

If you took away the blue flags then you would seriously wreck the championships of the faster teams. Look at what happened in Singapore.....the idiot HRT driver (dunno who it was), held up Webber allowing Hamilton to make a move. It ended up in tears for Hamilton fans and almost ruined Webber's bid for WDC. If that HRT hadn't been in the way, Hamilton wouldn't even have gotten a look in. I am no Hamilton fan but he rightfully should have been 2nd in the WDC rankings. If Webber's race had been ruined, I would have made it my goal in life to have that driver banned from ever driving in F1.

Turn back the clock to Canada....it should have been Alonso on the top step. However the crappy Lotus car's got in the way, allowing the McLaren's to overtake Alonso (TWICE! Hamilton and then Button). I am an Alonso fan and that REALLY REALLY p*ssed me off!!!!!

If you take away the blue flags you give no motivation for those crappy teams to improve. It's like telling someone who is doing a god-aweful job to "keep up the good work."

My message to the slow teams: "If you can't keep up, then F**K OFF!"

I agree with everything that you have said over hear mate... especially the last sentence...

[blackpebel 0]

Actually, that's an interesting idea.

I'd have a lot more respect for Todt if he came out and said "fine, we'll get rid of the blue flags...and replace them with black ones."

[Fwon 0]

Ummmm...sorry to bring ya down, but, you just provided the perfect example as to why they should remove the blue flag get out of the way rule....if it wasn't for said HRT car...which was actually a Virgin, but I digress....you wouldn't have had Hamilton try and overtake....he USED the slower car...and besides it was on a restart after a safety car so they were bunched up more...and it was Lewis' own dumb fault for chopping in...had he given Webber racing room his pass would have stuck.

And to put your other foot in your mouth, you bring up Canada....

Dude...thanks for the advertisement for removing the rule. Those of us whom understand motorsport salute you.

Na - ah ah. Your argument is based on the premise that back markers slowing down to let leaders through is causing the problems. That is not the case. It is back-markers NOT slowing down that is causing the problem. Look at how the more experienced drivers do it. Rubens and Kubica pulled off some good give way manoeuvres. Even Schumacher pulled off a perfect give way. That is how you do it.

If you look carefully at the HRT / RBR / McLaren overtaking manoeuvre - you will see how the "first" HRT got out of the way correctly - no problems here. On the contrary, the "second" HRT did NOT get out of the way - instead kept at his race pace. This slowed Webber down so much that Hamilton was able to get up right behind him. Hamilton was then able to use his additional horsepower to out-drag Webber. You can even hear Brundle saying that the 2nd HRT "shouldn't be there". Why didn't the 2nd HRT give way when the first one did? The 2nd HRT kept racing, oblivious to the fact that he was about play a key role in determining the WDC. I question whether he actually gave way before the 3 blue flag limit.

It is a typical "if only situation." There is no question that contact between the cars was caused by Hamilton thinking he was playing F1 2010 on the Playstation3 against his brother. But the entire scenario could have been avoided "if only" the HRT wasn't trying to fight for 22th position. Sheesh - such big egos for such little teams. Just let the leaders through and then you can continue to squabble for....well.....zero points!

This year the WDC is so tight and there is so much at stake, I think it is totally justified to be so critical.

Seriously, the slower teams should show some respect. Dare I bring up the way Lotus attempted to keep their flaming car on the track so they might be able to beat the 2 hour race deadline in order to finish ahead of the Virgins. Just before the first pit box, there is a large run off area. It was the perfect place to stop a car. I believe Kova was seconds from death - a few more seconds and he would have suffered from smoke inhalation and would not have been able to unbuckle to out of the car. I would love to hear the radio communication.

So should the Blue Flags rule be removed? NO WAY! I say we should make it 2 blue flags.

I will post a this question on Red Button this coming Sunday and see what the "experts" have to say about this one.

[blackpebel 0]

Now their are two contradictory statements that i am able to observe..

Ummmm...sorry to bring ya down, but, you just provided the perfect example as to why they should remove the blue flag get out of the way rule....if it wasn't for said HRT car...which was actually a Virgin, but I digress....you wouldn't have had Hamilton try and overtake....he USED the slower car...and besides it was on a restart after a safety car so they were bunched up more...and it was Lewis' own dumb fault for chopping in...had he given Webber racing room his pass would have stuck.

And to put your other foot in your mouth, you bring up Canada....

Dude...thanks for the advertisement for removing the rule. Those of us whom understand motorsport salute you.

And...

There are rules for blocking, so a slower car can not just go and block everyone, so that is actually a non-issue.

Plus

No motorsport in NZ uses the blue flag to tell you to allow the guy behind to past - it is merely a warning for you to look in your mirrors...just like a white flag is waved to a fast car telling them there is a slower car just ahead of them.

Well you are at least right about one thing!!!!!, although partially though,,, their are rules available in F1 so that a slower car can not just go and block everyone, one of them is BLUE FLAG

I can see what you've tried to do in your post by calling Fwon's post an advertising against blue flags, so that it sounds like a joke,,, but after reading your post's I feel your a perfect poster boy for keeping blue flag's alive...

And oh yes: Talking about safety car, have you ever noticed that the lapped cars are allowed to overtake the safety car, THAT TOO is a part of the rule so that a slower car can not just go and block everyone so would you suggest that FIA should change this as well so it looks more like racing in NZ... I hope they have an F1 race in NZ, where the brighter side of Blue flag is shown to the whole country...

A1 GP never used the F1 blue flag rule, and I can't recall ever seeing one in IRL either (road or oval)

A1 GP??? The one which existed in biblical times, The one Where the all cars were a copy-pasted versions of each other,,, Where drivers can only race for one team, and don't have an option to move to a faster team, because their is no team faster than the other...

IRL,,, the last IRL race i remember was when they all took 400 left's to decide whose faster on the straight line... are these the IRL races what you've tried to compare F1 with???

Here is my point:

The point is that good drivers in F1 are already in a good team and have earned their seat based on their past performance. They also earn their positions on the grid based on qualifying. They do it again by getting on the tale of the other lawn-mowers racing with them,,,,, on top of that you expect them to show more skills because you want some more action, because its fun,,, Faster car's can pass the ol-so-slow ones easily,, but would you not rather see faster cars having a good battle with each other or the-battle-with-the-lapbelow-car.

How would have you felt had your school asked you to complete the same grade again and again... to prove to them again and again that you actually are good enough...

I say, revert the rule back to the original...

New Rules are made based on past incidences. Priority is always given to safety, and in those concerns it is rightly realized that overlapped cars should not try to defend the course of the race, which can lead to accidents... And it should stay by all means...

It's not about saying to a slower team to get faster, It's about bringing some skill back to the sport.

Its not about saying to a slower team to get faster, but just to tell them to move out of the way because they are way too slower then needed... and for the same reasons(safety) they have also band speeding in the pit lane...

I dont know whether you have professionally raced and been in this situation, but i have, and trust me mate, when your on the track, when your in the drivers seat, you really wont appreciate someone slower then you blocking you for no reasons, or ending your race by running into you. And ruining what you had done because he was arrogant enough to not let you go...

[KoolMonkey 0]

the perenial complaints about backmarkers are par for the course I'm afraid. we always get a few top drivers having a whinge after their race has been compromised, but we never hear them saying thank you to a backmarker who helped them by slowing the car in front. as usual they see it only one way.

whinge whing whinge.

on blue flags - I agree with handy - get rid of them.

it's the same for everyone. get past the backmarkers on your own - your car is super superior - so use it for something. if you can't pass and get overtaken by your competitor that can, then that's your problem and you obviously aren't as good a driver.

other reasons...

it's safer (their pace won't suddenly slow to let faster drivers past so causing incidents like we've seen this year).

it's better viewing to see cars passing rather than pulling out of the way.

it's the same for everyone.

plus - the slower the back markers are, the easier it should be to overtake them.

deal with it people - stop listening to the overpaid cry babies who have an easier life in the fastest cars on the grid.

as for fairness - the bottom team's are racing for money too. money that they desperately need. more so than the redbulls, ferraris and mclarens. and yet every race they have is compromised by moving over for the big boys. hoe is that fair?

last - some of the top drivers would do well to remember that they were lower down the pecking order once upon a time and might well be again (a la kovi), so suck it up and stop being such nancies.

Nicely said. And a good mention about the help the faster cars do receive.

There are arguments for fairness and safety about removing blue flags, and there are some arguments concerning safety for keeping them. If someone has a vastly superior car, then let the guy in a slow car carry on with his race. The faster car is going to pass the slower car pretty much right away anyway, and thus the following cars will all have to deal with it the same way. Thus it won't affect anyone unfairly and doesn't punish the smaller teams either. It's rather simpleton to tell a slower team to get faster or f**k off. How do you think they get faster then? With more money, and for these smaller teams, results and prize money are just as valuable as sponsorship money.

Show me another sport where a competitor doing their best, is told to move over and go even slower because someone else is going faster. So fairness only applies to the faster teams then?

[HandyNZL 1]

Now their are two contradictory statements that i am able to observe..

And...

Plus

Well you are at least right about one thing!!!!!, although partially though,,, their are rules available in F1 so that a slower car can not just go and block everyone, one of them is BLUE FLAG

I can see what you've tried to do in your post by calling Fwon's post an advertising against blue flags, so that it sounds like a joke,,, but after reading your post's I feel your a perfect poster boy for keeping blue flag's alive...

And oh yes: Talking about safety car, have you ever noticed that the lapped cars are allowed to overtake the safety car, THAT TOO is a part of the rule so that a slower car can not just go and block everyone so would you suggest that FIA should change this as well so it looks more like racing in NZ... I hope they have an F1 race in NZ, where the brighter side of Blue flag is shown to the whole country...

A1 GP??? The one which existed in biblical times, The one Where the all cars were a copy-pasted versions of each other,,, Where drivers can only race for one team, and don't have an option to move to a faster team, because their is no team faster than the other...

IRL,,, the last IRL race i remember was when they all took 400 left's to decide whose faster on the straight line... are these the IRL races what you've tried to compare F1 with???

Here is my point:

The point is that good drivers in F1 are already in a good team and have earned their seat based on their past performance. They also earn their positions on the grid based on qualifying. They do it again by getting on the tale of the other lawn-mowers racing with them,,,,, on top of that you expect them to show more skills because you want some more action, because its fun,,, Faster car's can pass the ol-so-slow ones easily,, but would you not rather see faster cars having a good battle with each other or the-battle-with-the-lapbelow-car.

How would have you felt had your school asked you to complete the same grade again and again... to prove to them again and again that you actually are good enough...

New Rules are made based on past incidences. Priority is always given to safety, and in those concerns it is rightly realized that overlapped cars should not try to defend the course of the race, which can lead to accidents... And it should stay by all means...

Its not about saying to a slower team to get faster, but just to tell them to move out of the way because they are way too slower then needed... and for the same reasons(safety) they have also band speeding in the pit lane...

I dont know whether you have professionally raced and been in this situation, but i have, and trust me mate, when your on the track, when your in the drivers seat, you really wont appreciate someone slower then you blocking you for no reasons, or ending your race by running into you. And ruining what you had done because he was arrogant enough to not let you go...

All I will say, is that I actually race open wheelers, and that from the perspective in the c#ckpit, it is better to have cars told you are there and that's it, and then not suddenly slow down or change their line. Adam (snorry norris) said it all pretty well.

And, btw, don't be such a snob to other forms of motorsport. Watch and understand them. F1 is not the only type of racing out there.

And another "btw", whomever said if you cant keep up, feck off...well that'll be everyone not driving a McLaren, Red Bull, or a Ferrari. Oh whoopee..what a race series....not.

[yurp 0]

All I will say, is that I actually race open wheelers, and that from the perspective in the c#ckpit, it is better to have cars told you are there and that's it, and then not suddenly slow down or change their line. Adam (snorry norris) said it all pretty well.

And, btw, don't be such a snob to other forms of motorsport. Watch and understand them. F1 is not the only type of racing out there.

And another "btw", whomever said if you cant keep up, feck off...well that'll be everyone not driving a McLaren, Red Bull, or a Ferrari. Oh whoopee..what a race series....not.

First off - who's this Adam guy - he sounds like a total twatface.

Second - There are other types of racing out there? Bollocks.

Third - Ferrari can't keep up either - it's just Alons's 6/10s

But other than with your first, second and third paragraphs, I totally agree.

[HandyNZL 1]

Good job I had seventeen paragraphs then.....

[Silas Talbot 0]

This might have been more reasonable a proposal a few years ago, when even Honda could keep a pace within 1s of the leaders. Nowadays it would just cause trouble.

My suggestion is that they run a separate, smaller track for the new teams around the inside of the GP track.

This KInetic Differential Interior Equalisation track, or "KIDIE Track" would be the perfect solution for the new teams.

[yurp 0]

Good job I had seventeen paragraphs then.....

14 of which were pure gold.

[Eric 0]

First off - who's this Adam guy - he sounds like a total twatface.

Second - There are other types of racing out there? Bollocks.

Third - Ferrari can't keep up either - it's just Alons's 6/10s

For not knowing Adam, you sure know him well.

No, there is only the Chinese Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, where the Honorable Oxen Ho-Pin Tung is for to win in many car rapid with much Dignity or Chastity in Chery QQ with money of is sponsor great China's company McDonald's restaurant, for, Cheng Congfu* is MCLAREN once test, drive too in these car Chery QQ for SKYPE finance is Penis for Chairman the Creator great Series.

Alonso's six-tenths is nothing. They ought to take on Pérez; he brings two full seconds, an impressive P14 in a North American amateur driving school series, and the adoration of the Internet. Which is wrong and bad and you best not use it. Always pray to your government for guidance before logging on. Regardless, I'm going to pee myself with excitement when I get to hear Legard talking about Pérez "through a corner, up the hill, down the hill, into a corner, that corner was a left-hander, on the straight, going fast, in his car, in the right-hander, left-hander, right-hander, oh, do we have trouble? Lewis Hamilton? His engine has blown? It looks like his day might maybe be over? And then back to Pérez, down the hill, and Martin, isn't Pérez magnificent down that hill? No, Martin, I only asked your opinion because I do not want it, Pérez is going up a hill now and I must say he's going up that hill into that left-hand corner, on the apex, over the curb..."

*Real former F1 prospect with BMW-Sauber and McLaren. I only say this because that name sounds horribly stereotypical, and therefore racist.

[HandyNZL 1]

So it's you that writes Legards scripts....should have figured...

[yurp 0]

For not knowing Adam, you sure know him well.

No, there is only the Chinese Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, where the Honorable Oxen Ho-Pin Tung is for to win in many car rapid with much Dignity or Chastity in Chery QQ with money of is sponsor great China's company McDonald's restaurant, for, Cheng Congfu* is MCLAREN once test, drive too in these car Chery QQ for SKYPE finance is Penis for Chairman the Creator great Series.

Did you just babelfish the original Chinese Association for Stock Car Auto Racing propaganda press release for this? It's uncannily accurate.

[wapi 4]

Show me another sport where a competitor doing their best, is told to move over and go even slower because someone else is going faster. So fairness only applies to the faster teams then?

Athletics. In the 10.000m races ocassionaly happens that some runners are lapped. When that happens, slower guy moves to the outer track especially if he is caught while in the curved part. If slower guy does not do that it is considered as rude and unproffesional behavior.

[wapi 4]

Double post. sorry.

[blackpebel 0]

............I'm going to pee myself with excitement when I get to hear Legard talking about Pérez "through a corner, up the hill, down the hill, into a corner, that corner was a left-hander, on the straight, going fast, in his car, in the right-hander, left-hander, right-hander, oh, do we have trouble? Lewis Hamilton? His engine has blown? It looks like his day might maybe be over? And then back to Pérez, down the hill, and Martin, isn't Pérez magnificent down that hill? No, Martin, I only asked your opinion because I do not want it, Pérez is going up a hill now and I must say he's going up that hill into that left-hand corner, on the apex, over the curb..."

bhub.. bhub,,

[blackpebel 0]

Good job I had seventeen paragraphs then.....

OK, Let see.. you walked into the local library to access internet for the alloted number of hours... and happened to open this very page...

But since you were just too slow in reading the 'seventeen paragraphs',,, to tell you that you were too slow, the boy at the library politely showed you a blue Flag, for you to move aside, because someone else(could be Adam this case) wanted to make some use of that place which was not seen to be productive enough till you were their???

.

.

.

Consider my apologies if you think i sound rude...

[blackpebel 0]

And another "btw", whomever said if you cant keep up, feck off...

FIA, well the difference is, that instead of saying it out-loud(because that would make teams and drivers feel bad to a level that they may file a law suit against FIA for using profanity), they politely show a blue flag...

And a 'BTW' for you...

Do you realize that teams like HRT, Virgin etc want the flag to be taken off because then they can block faster drivers, get more screen time then they get now, to make some money. Something as less as five minutes gets them a bomb. This would save them the hard work of regularly having to develop car's(which I am against). This would ensure that even though they are slow next year, they earn a portion of the share they don't deserve... It's a dirty game out there mate...

[blackpebel 0]

Second - There are other types of racing out there? Bollocks.

And, btw, don't be such a snob to other forms of motorsport. Watch and understand them. F1 is not the only type of racing out there.

Wont disagree, sorry if my above post make you feel that i hate other motor-sports, i don't. But i do consider that it's unfair for other motor-sports to be compared with F1 in many aspects.

For Eg. IT's no point if a slower driver brakes and slow's down in IRL oval, because they are on the throttle (almost) through out the race, and that's why no blue flag...

But if you are to consider comparing the rule with what happens in other forms of sports, read what wapi said...

Athletics. In the 10.000m races ocassionaly happens that some runners are lapped. When that happens, slower guy moves to the outer track especially if he is caught while in the curved part. If slower guy does not do that it is considered as rude and unproffesional behavior.

And just like you would feel right now that its no point comparing athletics with motor sports, I feel its no point in questioning or comparing the rules in the pinnacle of motor-sports which we call F1 to something completely different..... I wont mind a comparison with something like GP2 which is close...

[HandyNZL 1]

OK, Let see.. you walked into the local library to access internet for the alloted number of hours... and happened to open this very page...

But since you were just too slow in reading the 'seventeen paragraphs',,, to tell you that you were too slow, the boy at the library politely showed you a blue Flag, for you to move aside, because someone else(could be Adam this case) wanted to make some use of that place which was not seen to be productive enough till you were their???

.

.

.

Consider my apologies if you think i sound rude...

No, you just sound thick, because you completely missed the joke between Adam and I. Kind of sad really.

And you do know that IRL races on road circuits too don't you? Even NASCAR does as well. US racing is not just turning left, and even in races where you turn left, it's not just about turning left. Oval racing takes a lot of driver skill to maintain the speed, especially as most circuits have different banking angles, and are asymmetrical. The drives are constantly changing ARB balance from corner to corner, as well as altering lines as the outsides of the turns get marbles meaning they have an ever decreasing radius in which to maintain speed. Which is why I'm more likely to discuss the virtues and pitfalls of such racing with someone like Eric, than, perhaps, you, whom has yet to show any intelligence on the matter.

[HandyNZL 1]

FIA, well the difference is, that instead of saying it out-loud(because that would make teams and drivers feel bad to a level that they may file a law suit against FIA for using profanity), they politely show a blue flag...

And a 'BTW' for you...

Do you realize that teams like HRT, Virgin etc want the flag to be taken off because then they can block faster drivers, get more screen time then they get now, to make some money. Something as less as five minutes gets them a bomb. This would save them the hard work of regularly having to develop car's(which I am against). This would ensure that even though they are slow next year, they earn a portion of the share they don't deserve... It's a dirty game out there mate...

No, they want a fair chance and a less compromised race by not having to slow on the straights. They are not allowed to block. They would still get a blue flag as the true meaning of it is that a faster car is coming up on you and likely to pass. They will not block - just maintain their driving line, and it will be the onus of the faster car to get around them.

The funny thing is, that one of the best overtakes in recent history was Hakkinen on Schumacher using Zonta as a mobile chicane. It's moment's like that that show a drivers real skill level - picking the exact right thing to do, knowing how the other car is compromised for a split moment. Then that car that was previously infront, now has to work harder to regain their previous position(s). A free pass past a back marker just adds to processional racing.

People that are for blue flags telling people to move over are more likely to be fans of a driver or team, than of motorsport as a whole. I'd rather the show improved and away from processional racing than have a rule that benefits some drivers and compromises others. F1 did not used to have this rule. And when they didn't have this rule, they didn't have processional races. I'm not saying that this rule is the only reason they now have processional races, but it sure as hell is a mitigating factor.

And on the subject of "cut and paste" A1 cars....would just have to say that EVERY open wheel formula apart from Formula Ford, Karting and F1 and um....um....um....um......have one make cars....hence FORMULA racing. (And funny thing with FFord is that Honda is starting to supply engines in the US now.) So don't go bashing it. The thing with F1 is that there is a rule saying teams must make their own designed cars and this is unique in top flight motorsport. It is their point of difference. It means F1 is more than just a good driver.

[Eric 0]

In the interest of being as factual as possible, IndyCar (IRL) and NASCAR both have blue flags, even on ovals. It's a warning (not a mandate) in both series, though the IRL has strict blocking rules for both lapped and lead-lap vehicles. In NASCAR, well, it's not totally uncommon for the lead-lap driver to give the lapped driver a bit of a nudge (or more) and move him/her out of the way. In some local series that race on smaller, tighter tracks, the blue flag requires the driver to get out of the way. With all series, a dangerous maneuver by a slower car will be punished in some way, even if simply impeding traffic will not.

I personally like the blue flag as a warning and not a law. If a slow car wants to give a faster car hell, well, maybe the faster driver needs to get creative and learn to pass. If the slower driver wants to be courteous, well, that's his/her choice. I'm sure the drivers can weigh their own options: be relentless, and sure, you may make a team mad at you, but I'm sure when they're looking for a new driver, they won't forget how much drive you had. Be courteous and disappear, well, I hope you like being a reserve driver and making a one-off cameo at Le Mans, because that's where you end up. As with anything, a stupid maneuver (as in a sudden, erratic chop-block) can be reviewed by the FIA.

All that said, though, the blue flag rules will be the same next year as they are this year. I won't lose much sleep over it.

Now, of course, if Kimi isn't there, I'll lose tremendous amounts...