The post in front of you is waving a single yellow. What do you do?
Keep racing speed and look out for debris Slow down, no overtaking until you are past the green flag Slow down, but you may pass cars that are clearly slower Stop at the edge of the track straight away Answer: Slow down, no overtaking until you are past the green flag — One waved yellow says there is trouble ahead. Lift off, assume your line will have to change, and sit behind the car in front until the green flag closes the zone.
Double waved yellow flags Now two yellows are waving together. What does the second one add?
The problem is in the pit lane rather than on the circuit The yellow zone now stretches one post further The track could be part blocked or fully blocked, be ready to stop A Safety Car is about to come out Answer: The track could be part blocked or fully blocked, be ready to stop — Two waved yellows say the track is blocked, or as good as. Get the speed right down and be ready to stop properly. The next corner can hide a car sitting sideways across it.
You have cleared the yellow zone and a marshal waves green. From that flag on you may:
Overtake, but only on the straights Overtake only once you are past the next post as well Nothing changes, green is only a formation lap flag Resume racing and overtake Answer: Resume racing and overtake — Green shuts the yellow zone, and normal racing starts again from there. You also see it as the formation lap sets off, and at every post through the opening lap of practice.
A marshal at a UK club meeting waves a white flag. What have they seen?
A slow-moving vehicle is in this sector of the track This is the final lap The race has been neutralised A car is stopped at the pit lane exit Answer: A slow-moving vehicle is in this sector of the track — In this country, white means something slow is on the track in front of you: an ambulance, a recovery truck, a car limping round. The last lap meaning belongs to American oval racing and has no place in Motorsport UK.
You are racing in a slower class and a marshal waves blue at you. You should:
Ignore it, unless the leader is coming to lap you Hold a predictable line and let the faster car by Get off the racing line as fast as you can, wherever you happen to be Brake hard so the faster car is past before the corner Answer: Hold a predictable line and let the faster car by — Blue means a quicker car is sitting on your gearbox and wants past. Keep your line and let them have it. A sudden jink off line puts the pair of you in more bother than simply carrying on as you were.
Out comes the red flag. What do you do?
Stop exactly where you are on the circuit Keep racing until the chequered flag appears Slow immediately, no overtaking, head for the pits or stop where directed Carry on at racing speed to the end of the lap, then pit Answer: Slow immediately, no overtaking, head for the pits or stop where directed — Red stops the session. Speed right down, leave the overtaking alone, and follow wherever the marshals wave you on the way back to the pit lane. Assume a stranded car or an ambulance is waiting just round the next bend.
Yellow and red striped flag A post is holding out a yellow flag with red stripes. What is it telling you?
A car is on fire somewhere further round Your car has breached the noise limit The next sector has been red flagged The surface ahead is slippery: oil, water or debris Answer: The surface ahead is slippery: oil, water or debris — The striped flag is about grip, or the lack of it. Oil, coolant, water or gravel has found the racing line. Overtaking is still legal, but treat the next corner as a great deal greasier than it was a lap ago.
Pink Code 60 flags go out at every post. What speed are you held to?
60 km/h 60 mph 80 km/h Whatever keeps you tucked in behind the car in front Answer: 60 km/h — Code 60 pegs you to 60 km/h (about 37 mph), with nobody passing anybody and the gap to the car ahead kept where it was. Your speed is being measured, and from inside a racing car 60 km/h feels a good deal slower than it sounds, so it is easy to creep over it.
A Code 60 period differs from a Safety Car period in one big way. Which?
Code 60 lets you overtake anyone from another class Under Code 60 the gaps between cars are preserved; a Safety Car bunches the field up Code 60 is only used when it rains A Safety Car is only permitted in races longer than an hour Answer: Under Code 60 the gaps between cars are preserved; a Safety Car bunches the field up — Code 60 parks the race and leaves the gaps alone. Everyone drops to the same speed and holds station, so whatever lead you built before the incident is still yours when racing restarts. A Safety Car scoops the lot into one queue.
Yellow flags are waving and every post is showing a board marked SC. What now?
Drop to 60 km/h and hold your gap Keep racing until you actually catch the Safety Car Slow down, no overtaking, and form single file behind the Safety Car Come straight in, the stop is compulsory Answer: Slow down, no overtaking, and form single file behind the Safety Car — An SC board puts the Safety Car out on circuit. Ease off, no passing, and close up to the back of the queue in single file. You race again when its lights go out and it ducks into the pits.
Black flag with orange disc Marshals show your race number next to a black flag with an orange disc. Why?
You are out of the race You have a drive-through penalty for jumping the start You have run wide once too often, three times in all The marshals can see a mechanical problem or a fire on your car, pit now Answer: The marshals can see a mechanical problem or a fire on your car, pit now — The meatball flag tells you the marshals can see something wrong with your car: a flapping panel, a leak, smoke. Come in next time round, get it sorted, then rejoin. This one is for your benefit.
A marshal shows you the black and white flag split on the diagonal, with your number. It means:
A warning for unsporting driving; the next flag will be black Your lap times are going in the bin for track limits You have to let the car behind you through Something on your car is leaking Answer: A warning for unsporting driving; the next flag will be black — The diagonal is the Clerk of the Course saying, once, that they do not like the way you are driving. Carry on the same way and the black flag follows.
The black flag comes out with your race number on the board. You must:
Park at the nearest marshal post Come into the pits next lap and report to the Clerk of the Course Finish the race, then go and find the Clerk Slow for a lap and then get back up to speed Answer: Come into the pits next lap and report to the Clerk of the Course — Black with your number is an order to come in now and see the Clerk. Drive past it and whatever you were in trouble for turns into an exclusion.
You take the chequered flag as you cross the line. What governs the lap that follows?
You have to stop on the start line One more flat out lap, then in Racing is over: ease off, no overtaking, return to the pits You may still overtake as far as the pit entry Answer: Racing is over: ease off, no overtaking, return to the pits — Your race ends the instant you cross that line. What follows is a slowing down lap, so leave the passing alone and give the marshals a wave as you go round.
The flags that come with your race number: where do you expect to see them?
At every marshal post round the lap Only from the pit wall, by your own team On the light panel at the final corner At the start and finish line, and usually at the pit exit too Answer: At the start and finish line, and usually at the pit exit too — The black, the black and white, and the black with the orange disc all come out with a number board at the start and finish line, and usually at pit exit as well. Which is why that post is worth a look on every single lap.