Australian GP: Controversial purple flags analysed after Max Verstappen claims Melbourne victory

After a massively dramatic Australian Grand Prix that featured three purple flags, Formula 1’s officiators are as soon as extra coming below scrutiny for his or her utility of the principles.

Each of Sunday’s three purple flags in Melbourne was disputed, with the latter two within the closing phases making a weird and frantic end at Albert Park.

Despite holding on for victory, world championship chief Max Verstappen questioned the choices after the race, with the Dutchman saying the race administrators “created the problems themselves”.

Since the demise of long-time race director Charlie Whiting in 2019, F1 have did not discover a lead referee trusted and revered by all groups, with earlier incumbent Michael Masi sacked after his controversial overseeing of the 2021 Abu Dhabi finale that noticed Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton to the world championship.

This newest episode of confusion and discontent on the Australian Grand Prix will solely improve the strain on present race director Niels Wittich, who is about to be accountable for all 23 races this season after sharing the position final yr.

With the mud selecting what was nonetheless an exhilarating Grand Prix, Sky Sports assesses whether or not the choices taken have been justifiable…

Red flag 1: Albon crashes into barrier

What occurred?

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Alex Albon crashes out of the race and brings out the purple flag on the Australian Grand Prix.

With the race having already been interrupted by a Safety Car after Charles Leclerc was left beached within the gravel on the opening lap, the officers have been known as again into motion once more on lap six when Alexander Albon crashed.

The Williams driver misplaced management of his automotive and spun on the exit of Turn 7, turning into a passenger as he thudded into the barrier, earlier than being left stranded on the sting of the monitor.

The clean-up operation started with a restoration automobile approaching monitor and lifting the Williams off the bottom, however as that was happening, a purple flag was thrown with the presence of particles and gravel on monitor the rationale for the choice.

How did it influence the race?

The massive losers have been George Russell and Carlos Sainz, who pitted from first and fourth respectively.

Their selections to cease had been made below the Safety Car, with Mercedes and Ferrari not anticipating a purple flag would comply with. Both assumed, due to this fact, they have been taking an affordable pit cease.

The high eight had all began on medium tyres, and the pondering was that the contemporary onerous compound tyres each drivers placed on would give them an opportunity of going to the tip of the race.

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Multiple drivers virtually collide and alter locations as they made their option to the grid for the race restart.

The purple flag noticed the race stopped, and gave new chief Lewis Hamilton, and Verstappen behind him, the possibility to vary their tyres and preserve their place.

Russell dropped all the way down to seventh, whereas Sainz would resume in eleventh.

Was the fitting determination taken?

Russell was adamant the flawed name had been made.

“I’m pretty disappointed initially with the decision to red-flag the race – no words for that,” he stated after later retiring from the race following an influence unit failure.

“We had a similar situation in Saudi with the Safety Car coming out in unnecessary circumstances.

“I assumed we made the fitting determination pitting below the Safety Car, I used to be stunned once I noticed Lewis and Max keep out and I used to be fairly happy once I noticed that as a result of it performed proper into our palms.

“Then, obviously, the red flag ruined things.”

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Mercedes’ George Russell felt that he may have gained the race if he didn’t should retire from the Australian Grand Prix following a automotive hearth.

On Sky Sports F1’s reside broadcast, commentator David Croft defined the pondering of the race director, stating that the part of the monitor the particles and gravel had been pushed onto is high-speed, being taken by drivers at 140mph.

The FIA additionally felt extra time within the race would have been misplaced throughout a clean-up course of behind the Safety Car.

“But you’re not (going at 140mph) under a Safety Car, so I don’t understand why there’s a red flag, I have to say,” Sky Sports F1’s Jenson Button stated.

“Because you just slow down for the incident, the Safety Car can slow down, and they can sweep the gravel when the cars aren’t going past the incident.

“It’s broken so many individuals’s races and it was a technique name that lots folks made that they thought was proper. It’s simply unusual, however I do perceive safety-wise as effectively.”

Red flag 2: Magnussen hits wall and loses tyre

What occurred?

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Kevin Magnussen completely clips the wall and completely loses his right rear tyre which brings out the second red flag of the race!

With Verstappen cruising towards victory, Kevin Magnussen hit the wall with his Haas after losing control on the exit of Turn 2 on the 54th circuit of the 58-lap contest.

Once more, a Safety Car was initially sent out, and it was initially unclear whether the race would be able to resume.

Lewis Hamilton, perhaps aware of the situation, came on team radio to report that there was a significant amount of debris on track.

With both the debris and the possibility of the race finishing behind the Safety Car in mind, another red flag was thrown, setting up a theoretical two-lap sprint to the end from a standing start.

How did it impact the race?

There was one very clear loser on this occasion, the race leader Verstappen.

He held an eight-second lead over second-placed Hamilton at the time of Magnussen’s crash.

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Ted Kravitz takes a look back at a chaotic Australian Grand Prix.

Under a Safety Car he would have either finished the race in front, or had the opportunity to control a rolling restart – on tyres that he was likely to have kept in better shape than the less speedy cars behind him.

The Dutchman had shown vulnerability at each of the previous standing starts, and therefore Hamilton suddenly had a realistic chance of victory, particularly given the fact Red Bull’s class-leading DRS system wouldn’t have been available for use with just two laps remaining.

As it was, Verstappen just about held Hamilton at bay off the line, and the great rivals got away cleanly, with the big losers turning out to be those who made contact behind them, which we’ll come to later.

Was the right decision taken?

Several drivers came onto team radio expressing surprise at the decision, with Verstappen, understandably, very vocal.

He said after the race: “I feel it is fairly clear – I simply did not perceive why we would have liked a purple flag.

“I think if you would have had a Safety Car and a normal rolling start, you wouldn’t have had all these shunts and then you have a normal finish.

“So, they [the race directors] created the issues themselves on the finish of the day.”

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Max Verstappen was pleased with the performance of his Red Bull as he cruised to victory around Albert Park Circuit.

From an entertainment perspective, there was no doubt it was a good decision.

“I’m not going to disagree with this purple flag,” Sky Sports F1’s David Croft said. “This goes to present all people two laps of cracking motion to resolve the winner of this race.”

Button added: “It’s leisure, and we’ll have a tremendous present for these two laps.”

“The solely person who’s actually feeling the ache proper now’s Max Verstappen.

“I understand why the drivers have reacted in that (negative) way though, because we’ve never seen red flags for this before.”

Despite finally benefitting from the purple flag as he completed sixth, Lando Norris defined why he was in opposition to it.

Lando Norris criticised the second purple flag

The McLaren driver stated: “I kind of hate it. I don’t like the restarts. I guess, maybe in the first quarter of the race, I understand it.

“(In) the second half, and particularly with 4 laps to go, I really feel such as you destroy quite a lot of issues. And I do not really feel prefer it’s truthful for lots of people who’ve carried out a superb job they usually get taken out.

“We come all the way to Australia, but it’s so much hard work to drive 56, 55 laps perfectly. And, because they try and put on a show, you just get unlucky, and everything can get taken away from you all of a sudden. So I just think that side of it, I just think it needs a small rethink.”

Red flag 3: Heavy Alpine collision amongst a number of incidents at restart

What occurred?

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Fernando Alonso is tagged by Carlos Sainz which causes a protracted line of accidents on the second race restart and brings out yet one more purple flag!

With all eyes on Verstappen and Hamilton, the drama got here behind them, as fourth-placed Carlos Sainz made contact with Fernando Alonso in entrance of him, inflicting them each to spin.

Alpine’s Pierre Gasly ran extensive and off monitor, together with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, after which because the Frenchman got here again on monitor he unwittingly compelled his team-mate Esteban Ocon out of room on the fitting of the monitor, resulting in contact which despatched them each into the barrier.

Further again, Williams’ Logan Sargeant bumped into the again of AlphaTauri’s Nyck de Vries, placing each of them out of the race.

The complete carnage, together with the heavy influence for each Alpines, noticed the purple flag come out once more.

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Karun Chandhok analyses the onboard view as Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly collided on the finish of the Australian Grand Prix.

How did it influence the race?

With only one lap remaining, there was no prospect of extra racing, however the FIA took a very long time to resolve what to do with the order earlier than a processional Safety Car-led last lap.

Ultimately, it was determined that as the primary sector of the lap hadn’t been accomplished earlier than the purple flag got here out, the order from earlier than the restart could be restored for the ultimate lap, minus the retired vehicles.

Alonso and Sainz, who have been in a position to keep on after their contact, have been due to this fact reinstated to 3rd and fourth, however the Ferrari driver was then given a five-second penalty earlier than the ultimate lap for inflicting the collision.

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Carlos Sainz is livid at being handed a five-second time penalty for inflicting a collision with Fernando Alonso.

That noticed him drop to final of the 12 vehicles that completed the race because the drivers behind him stayed throughout the five-second margin via the ultimate nook after the Safety Car had returned to the pit lane.

Lance Stroll, who had been sixth on the restart earlier than operating extensive, jumped to fourth, whereas virtually all of those that completed behind him in point-scoring positions additionally benefitted, together with McLaren rookie Oscar Piastri, who claimed his first factors in Formula 1 by ending eighth at his residence race.

The one driver to considerably undergo from the choice was Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg, who had risen to fourth earlier than the purple flag was waved, however was returned to seventh when the order was reset.

Was the fitting determination taken?

There was little dispute over the ultimate purple flag, with the heavy influence the Alpines skilled and the necessity to verify on their security – together with all of the ensuing particles and chaos – a sound purpose for the stoppage.

Alonso, who initially thought he had misplaced out on a 3rd podium in as many races this season, berated the second purple flag, that had led to the third and last standing begin, over group radio.

“Stupid rule,” the Spaniard fumed. “How the hell you can put a red flag before?”

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After ending third on the Australian GP, Fernando Alonso admits he was confused as to what precisely was taking place after a purple flag induced pandemonium on the finish of the race.

Attention as a substitute turned to the choice over restoring the pre-restart order, which was solely formally questioned by Haas, who appealed the choice, with group principal Guenther Steiner apparently aggrieved at Hulkenberg’s demotion.

The consensus was that the fitting determination had been taken, though the FIA had but to substantiate the standing of Haas’ attraction a number of hours after the race’s completion.

Then there was Sainz, who felt his five-second penalty had turn out to be much more harsh than it must be, costing him eight locations.

“It is the biggest disgrace I’ve seen in the sport for many years,” Sainz stated.

“It is the most unfair penalty I have seen in my life.”

With 4 weeks till the season resumes in Azerbaijan at a Baku avenue circuit more likely to create extra Safety Car – and potential purple flag – incidents, the FIA will undoubtedly come below strain from groups to offer readability on their guidelines and procedures.