Esteban Ocon and George Russell are urging Formula 1 to adopt a penalty system where drivers lose their qualifying times if they trigger a red flag during qualifying sessions.
Similar regulations are already in place in other series such as Formula 2 and Formula 3, where stewards have the authority to delete the quickest time set by a driver responsible for a red flag and prohibit them from further participation in the session.
Despite the rule being introduced in F2 and F3 for the 2024 season, it has yet to be implemented. Notably, at Imola last week, F3 stewards opted not to delete Callum Voisin’s lap times despite his role in causing a red flag after spinning into the gravel trap.
The motivation behind introducing such a rule stems from instances where drivers seemingly benefit from triggering red flags, thereby preventing their competitors from completing their fast laps. Monaco, in particular, has witnessed several such incidents, including Charles Leclerc’s pole position in 2021 despite crashing in the final moments of Q3.
When asked about the potential introduction of this rule in Formula 1, Ocon expressed his support, revealing ongoing discussions between drivers and race control. He emphasized the need for monitoring situations where a driver causes a red flag to ensure fairness and prevent disruptions to qualifying sessions.
Russell echoed Ocon’s sentiment, suggesting that causing a yellow or red flag should result in the deletion of the driver’s best lap time, similar to penalties imposed for track limit violations during qualifying.
Both drivers believe that implementing such penalties would contribute to a fairer and more competitive qualifying environment in Formula 1.
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