Yellow and purple flags in qualifying may be notably disruptive on the tight confines of the Monte Carlo avenue circuit, one thing which has been exploited up to now.
In 2006 Michael Schumacher parked up on goal at Rascasse to stop Fernando Alonso from bettering on the German’s provisional pole time.
Schumacher was put to the again of the grid by the race stewards as they deemed his motion deliberate.
However even incidents that do not occur on goal, or cannot be confirmed to be, have equally been problematic. That features Nico Rosberg securing pole in 2014 with an off at Mirabeau that introduced out yellow flags and denied Lewis Hamilton an opportunity to enhance, whereas Sergio Perez’s Q3 crash in 2022 at Portier additionally prevented Max Verstappen from overhauling him.
In IndyCar there’s a mechanism that drivers who causes a yellow flag lose their finest time in that section, and people who set off a purple flag lose their finest two laps.
That system not solely eliminates any wrongdoing but in addition prevents the shroud of any unsporting behaviour lingering over the consequence.
Ferrari driver Sainz says the FIA ought to re-visit the concept of deleting lap occasions for offending drivers.
“There have been very clear {cases} in avenue circuits the place, between us drivers, we have noticed folks on goal producing purple flags,” Sainz mentioned.
Nico Rosberg, Mercedes F1 W05 Hybrid, locks up underneath braking.
Photograph by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch / Motorsport Images
“The FIA hasn’t been possibly as satisfied about them being on goal, as a result of as drivers we all know what’s on goal and what’s not.
“So, will probably be attention-grabbing to see what strategy they take into this weekend.
“It is all the time a subject round Monaco. I simply hope that for the advantage of the present and the truthful play and truthful racing, all of us go on the market in Q1 and Q3, giving all of it with out taking pointless dangers.”
GPDA director George Russell and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon had been amongst drivers making related feedback. Perez, whose 2022 accident prompted the preliminary debate in regards to the subject within the first place, can be on board.
“That needs to be one thing wise to be doing, as a result of we have seen up to now drivers inflicting points and the others not with the ability to do a lap,” mentioned Ocon.
“That needs to be one thing that the FIA displays, I believe.”
Perez added: “Yeah, positively. I believe it’s the way it needs to be. We have been attempting to try this type of push in the previous few years, but it surely would not appear to occur.”
The concept was briefly introduced up within the wake of Perez’s 2022 crash, however it’s understood the FIA felt it wasn’t essential to take any additional measures. Nonetheless, Thursday’s feedback counsel it would doubtless be introduced up once more in Friday night’s drivers’ briefing.