The FIA has come under fire from Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle, who is urging the governing body to ban a key feature of grand prix weekends. This call for action follows a recent controversy at the Singapore Grand Prix, where the FIA announced they would be cracking down on foul language from drivers.
The issue came to a head when Max Verstappen was penalized for using explicit language to describe his Red Bull car during a press conference. As a result, he was required to participate in a community service-style punishment. This incident led to Verstappen boycotting further press conferences and addressing the media outside instead, escalating the situation.
In addition to the foul language crackdown, the FIA has been making changes to the track ahead of the race in Austin. Following complaints from teams about inconsistent policing of track limits last year, the FIA has added fake gravel to the run-off area at Turn 11 to discourage drivers from crossing the white line.
Despite these changes, Martin Brundle is pushing for another alteration to race weekend procedures. Specifically, he is advocating for the abolishment of blue flags, which notify a driver that they are about to be lapped by a faster car and must yield. Brundle argues that modern drivers lack the skill of navigating through traffic without this assistance, and removing blue flags would reintroduce an element of challenge and skill to racing.
Brundle’s proposal has sparked debate among fans and experts alike, with some supporting the idea of eliminating blue flags to enhance the racing experience. However, others are concerned about the potential safety implications of removing this long-standing rule. The FIA has yet to respond to Brundle’s suggestion, but the ongoing discussions surrounding race regulations continue to shape the future of Formula 1.
