Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has added his weight to rival teams seeking clarification of red flag rules by Formula 1’s governing body. the Federation International D’Automobile (FIA) in the wake of some dubious calls made in the opening three race of the season, including multiple safety car periods in Australia.
Heading to Baku for the Sprint weekend, a street track that has its perils and unique challenges, where FIA-appointed F1 race stewards will be stretched to the limit, as incidents and surprises aplenty are synonymous with previous Azerbaijan Grand Prix races.
This all with Ferrari’s appeal of Carlos Sainz’s penalty in Melbourne being turned down as the background to the growing confusion among F1 teams, the Scuderia are also seeking clarification of the rules and how they will be implmented, as too many grey areas exist which have not done F1 officials any favours.
The three red flags in Melbourne are a case in point, with Wolff not complaining about the abundance but rather seeking clarification regarding their implementation by the FIA race Director and his Stewards.
Toto: The rule book of F1 is the key DNA of the sport
After the Australian Grand Prix, Wolff told Motorsport-Total: “We didn’t see both red flags coming. I think restarts are great and a great entertainment factor, but for the future, we only need to know when red flags are used and what triggers a safety car or VSC.”
During the race Down Under, the first SC came out for Alexander Albon’s Williams, and then the race was stopped after Kevin Magnussen crashed his Haas which raised the question: What triggers a red flag, as opposed to a safety car?
“You could have used both [VSC and Safety Car] in these incidents. F1 is so successful because it’s a sport and we stick to the rules but it’s important that the same rules apply to everyone,” insisted Wolff the team boss.
“And that’s why it must be clear when there is a red flag and when only a safety car, so that the teams can better prepare for these situations. If they come as a surprise and you can’t really understand them, then maybe then not so much. But I’m generally in favour of offering great entertainment but the rule book of F1 is the key DNA of the sport,” added the Mercedes boss.
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