As the Grand Prix of Monaco approaches, Carlos Sainz is keen to address an issue with the red flag. The Spanish driver has observed numerous instances of drivers exploiting the current rules, particularly on the narrow street circuit of the principality. Sainz advocates for the FIA to take action against such rule-breakers in the future.
According to Sainz, the red flag has been raised often enough after a driver has deliberately caused a crash. With the current rules, your fastest time remains, even if you wreck your car shortly after. On a circuit like Monaco, this naturally invites cheating – recording the fastest time in Q3 and then crashing into the wall ensures you start at P1.
Preventing Future Exploits
Sainz believes that such situations should be prevented in the future. “We, as drivers, have seen enough cases where a red flag was deliberately created,” Sainz told the media on Thursday. “The FIA may not be able to see when someone crashes on purpose, but we know. I’m curious to see how they will handle it this weekend.”
Consider Removing the Fastest Lap Time
One solution to this problem is to remove the fastest lap time. This is already a common consequence in IndyCar. When it can be demonstrated that a driver crashes without the influence of another driver, his fastest time may be removed. “Laps are constantly invalidated due to track limits,” commented George Russell. “If you cause a yellow or red flag, the same should happen.”
Championship leader Max Verstappen completely agreed with this sentiment. He was disadvantaged in 2022 when Sergio Pérez controversially crashed his RB18 into the wall. As a result, the Mexican started ahead of his Dutch teammate. “There should be consequences,” Verstappen concluded.
