Racing Flags

Racing flags are traditionally used in motorsports to communicate with drivers (and teams) and indicate track conditions. Track marshalls will typically display the flag from the starter's stand over the start/finish line and around the track at observation posts. Many tracks - particularly ovals - also utilize lights to supplement the primary flags.

Summary

Despite there being no universal system of racing flags, most series have standardized them. Many flags carry over between series; particularly, the session flags are common to most series, while the communication and penalty flags may differ.

Uses of Flags in Major Racing Series

Flag	Name	WSCC, WSCL and E-Series Events	Eurocup	North American Stock Car Tour	Pacific Championship	Champ Car	Formula A
	Green	Start of a race or end of a caution period
	Yellow Caution	Localized or full-course caution Hazard on the track		Full-Course Caution (oval) Localized Caution (road course) Full-Course Caution (road course)	Localized or full-course caution Hazard on the track
	Safety Car	Safety Car On Track (road course only)	Safety Car On Track	Not used	Safety Car On Track
	Ambulance	Ambulance on track	Not used
	Hazard	Debris or other potential track surface hazards ahead		Not used	Debris or other potential track surface hazards ahead
	Red	Suspension of a racing session
	Blue Yield Courtesy	Yield to faster cars approaching
	Black	Return to the pits to serve a penalty					Disqualification
	Warning	Warning for unsportsmanlike conduct		Not used	Warning for unsportsmanlike conduct
	Repair The Meatball	Return to the pits for damage repair
	Cross	Driver no longer being scored				Not used
		Driver disqualified
	White	Last lap of session					Slow-moving car ahead
	Checkered	End of session

Status Flags

Status flags are used to inform drivers of the general status of the course during a race. The flags may also be augmented or replaced by lights at various points around a circuit.

Green Flag

The green flag signals the beginning or resumption of a racing session.

The solid green flag is displayed by the starter to indicate the start of a race. It is displayed during a race to indicate the end of a caution period or delay. The green flag is near-universally supplemented with green lights at various points around the circuit; this is most prominent on ovals but is used on road courses as well, particularly at the start/finish line.

If the race is not under a caution period or other delay, it is said to be under "green-flag conditions". The flag itself is not typically continuously waved by the starter, nor is it continuously displayed. The race is implied to be under safe, green flag conditions if the starter's stand does not display any flag during a racing session.

• When shown at a marshal's post, the green flag indicated the end of a local yellow on road or street courses.
• A separate green flag at pit entrance indicates that pit road is open. This flag has been supplemented or replaced by indicator lights.
• A double green flag has been used to start the Indianapolis 500 since 1980. A single green flag is still used to restart the race after a caution.
• Formula A will use the flag of the host country in the event the lights fail to properly start the session.

Yellow Flag

The yellow flag indicates a caution period, requiring drivers to slow down.

A solid yellow flag or caution flag indicates a hazard on the racing surface that requires drivers to slow down, typically an accident, a stopped car, debris, rain, or fluids. Yellow flag procedures do vary by series and sanctioning bodies, however.

In the World Stock Car Championship, World Stock Car Lites, Eurocup, and the Pacific Championship, as well as most major open-wheel series, the meaning of the yellow flag varies by the method and location of display.

• A single stationary yellow flag displayed from a marshal's stand indicates a hazard near the racing surface.
• A waved yellow flag from a marshal's stand indicated a hazard on the racing surface.
• A waved double yellow flag from the marshal's stand indicates an accident or other hazard that completely or partially blocks the racing surface, and that marshalls may be on the course.

If a yellow flag is displayed at a marshal's stand, drivers are forbidden from overtaking until they pass the next station with a green flag.

A single yellow flag waved from the starter's stand places the full race under caution, and may be accompanied by a virtual (in Formula A) or full safety car, who will lead the field at a safe, reduced speed. This flag is supplemented with lights on the track and the pace car. Passing is prohibited under a full yellow, except if a car is unable to maintain pace or exits the racing surface to pit. A furled yellow flag indicated that the session will return to green in the next lap; this is typically accompanied by extinguishing the supplementary lights on the track and pace car.

The North American Stock Car Tour uses a simplified system of flags for road courses; a single yellow waved from the marshal's stand indicates a local yellow, while a double yellow flag at the starter's stand indicates a full-course yellow. The pace car does not enter the track during a local yellow, and green flag racing is permitted outside of the local yellow zone.

Safety Car Flag

The Safety Car flag is used to notify drivers that the safety car has been deployed.

The safety car flag or SC Board is used to indicate the safety car is on track during a full-course yellow period. This flag (in stock car series) or board (in open-wheel series) is only used at road or street courses and will be displayed at every marshal station; this display will happen as the safety car approaches the marshal station. The standard yellow flag conditions apply to the entire circuit in this case. When a session is set to resume, the safety car will return to the pits and the green flag will be displayed. Changing lanes to pass is forbidden in all stock car series until the start/finish line, and is forbidden until the field overtakes the pace car in open-wheel series.

Ambulance Flag

The World Stock Car Championship uses this flag to notify drivers that an ambulance is on the track ahead.

The World Stock Car Championship uses a yellow flag with a red cross to indicate the presence of an ambulance of the track. WSCC rules require all drivers involved in crashes who are unable to drive the car to the pits to be escorted to the infield medical center via ambulance for evaluation; how the ambulance flag is displayed communicates to drivers and officials the affect drivers' status.

On ovals, the flag will be displayed from the back of a marshal truck, which will park behind the ambulance at an angle to force the field to move out of the line; on road courses, the ambulance flag will be displayed from a marshal truck in addition to the marshal stand preceding the incident site as well as the stand nearest to the site itself.

• A single, stationary flag indicates a driver is not visibly injured and is able to climb into the ambulance under their own power; similarly, a driver who puts down their window net is indicating to marshals that they are not seriously injured and can get out under their own power.
• A waved flag indicates a driver who is mildly injured; this flag is typically displayed when the driver is conscious but may not be able to get out on their own due to a minor injury, or may be slow to get out of the car.
• A double waved flag indicates that a driver needs immediate medical attention, and alerts the track officials that the driver may need to be rushed to a nearby medical facility.

Drivers who are deemed to be endangering marshals or ambulance workers may face severe penalties from the series.

Yellow and Red Striped Flag

This flag indicates surface hazards such as debris or fluids.

The red and yellow striped flag, also known as the surface flag or hazard flag is a road-course only flag waved at marshal stations to signal the drivers that the track surface ahead has changed, which may affect traction. Typical causes include oil, coolant, small pieces of debris, dirt, sand, grass, or water on the racing surface. Some series use a double hazard flag to indicate an animal on the track, although the World Stock Car Championship typically throws a local yellow in these instances.

The hazard flag is typically only displayed for a few laps, after which the hazard is considered part of the racing surface itself.

Red Flag

This flag signals the suspension of the current session.

The solid red flag is displayed to indicate that the session is too dangerous to continue. Depending on circumstances, cars are typically directed to either stop at a specified point on the race track or on pit road. There are instances where cars may be forced to stop immediately where they are. The red flag may be displayed for a number of reasons.

• A severe accident occurs that blocks the entire racing surface, damages the track (surface, walls, fencing), or involves a driver requiring emergency assistance.
• Rain or other inclement weather.
• Fires or smoke near the race track impacting safety or visibility.
• In practice sessions, the World Stock Car Championship is known to throw a red flag if any accident occurs.

When the red flag is displayed, all work in the pits and garage are prohibited.

When the red flag is withdrawn, the safety car typically leads the field under caution for several laps before the session resumes.

White Flag

This flag signals the beginning of the final lap of the racing session.

In Formula A, a white flag indicates a slow-moving vehicle in the section of the track covered by the marshal station; these are typically not used for slow racing vehicles but for safety vehicles such as jet dryers, fire trucks, tow trucks, or other marshal vehicles. Champ Car has adopted a similar flag system for use at road courses.

In stock car racing as well as Champ Car, the white flag displayed from the starter's stand indicates that the leader has begun the final lap of the race. Stationary white flags may also be displayed on pit lane at the end of practice sessions to indicate drivers practicing starts at road course events.

Instruction Flags

Instruction flags are typically used to communicate with a single driver or team at a time.

Blue Flag

The blue flag orders slower traffic to yield to faster cars.

The solid blue flag, often referred to as the yield flag, is used to inform a driver that a faster car is approaching and that they should move aside and allow the faster car(s) to pass. This flag is only shown to cars that are not on the lead lap during a race session, but can be displayed to any driver during practice sessions.

While in most series the blue flag is not mandatory - it is often viewed as a courtesy, hence the common nickname "courtesy flag" - in both Formula A and the World Stock Car Championship repeatedly ignoring a blue flag can result in penalties for the offending driver.

Black Flag

The black flag signals that a driver is to return to the pits to serve a penalty, except in Formula A, where it is used to signal a disqualification.

The solid black flag is displayed to summon a driver into the pits to serve a penalty for violating the rules. Typically, the minimum penalty imposed with a black flag is a pass-through penalty, but many series impose more severe penalties, depending upon the infraction.

The World Stock Car Championship, along with most other North American racing series, will black flag a car if it fails to maintain minimum speed. The team will be given a chance to repair the car, but if they are unable to maintain minimum speed after repairs they may be parked for the rest of the race. This speed varies by series - in the World Stock Car Championship it is 110% of the fastest lap time in final practice. The series formerly also used the black flag to call a driver to the pits if their car was damaged; however, this was replaced by the Meatball flag.

Formula A displays the black flag to signify an immediate disqualification of the driver involved.

Per-bend black/white flag

This flag is used by most series to warn a driver for unsportsmanlike conduct.

With the exception of the North American Stock Car Tour, all major series display a diagonally divided black and white flag alongside a car number to indicate a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. This flag can be displayed if a driver intentionally causes a wreck (wrecking another driver or spinning oneself), gets out of their car initiate an altercation with another driver, deliberately cuts the track, or excessively exceeds the track limits (stock car racing rarely uses the flag for this case).

The World Stock Car Championship also displays this flag to penalize a team for unsafe pit release; teams who release a driver and cause a collision (or nearly cause one) will often receive a post-race penalty, but the flag will typically be displayed during the race.

Champ Car also uses this flag to signal that a driver is being disqualified.

The North American Stock Car Tour does not distinguish between unsportsmanlike conduct and other penalties, and would use the solid black flag for all rules and conduction violations.

Black Flag with Orange Circle

This flag is used to order a driver to return to the pits to repair damage, smoke, or leaks from their car.

The repair flag is a mechanical black flag, displayed when series officials order a team to pit road to make repairs. This flag can be displayed for numerous causes, and to be cleared the team must show that the cause has been sufficiently eliminated. Typical reasons include:

• Significant bodywork damage such as a loose hood or dragging components
• Fluid leaks
• Significant smoke
• Mechanical failures

This flag is colloquially known as The Meatball due to its appearance.

Black Flag with White Cross

This flag is used to signal that a driver is no longer being scored until they serve their penalty. In the WSCC, a "Double Cross" signals a driver is disqualified.

Stock car racing utilizes a black flag with a white saltire to signal that the penalized driver is no longer being scored. This flag is displayed if a driver or team ignore a previous black flag, and indicated that they will not be scored until they serve the penalty. Ignoring the black flag will also often result in post-race penalties. Fines, probation, points penalties, and suspensions may result depending on the severity of the infraction.

In the World Stock Car Championship, two of these flags waved (known as a Double Cross) indicates that the penalized driver has been disqualified and will no longer be scored; in addition, disqualified drivers are credited with a last-place finish and forfeit points; post-race points and monetary penalties are also expected after a disqualification.

Champ Car formerly used this flag in similar manner to stock car racing series, but abandoned the use of it, preferring to use the black-and-white flag.

Checkered Flag

The checkered flag signals the end of a race or racing session.

The checkered flag (or chequered flag) is displayed at the start/finish line to indicate the official end of the race. The flag is commonly associated with the winner of the race, as they are the first to drive by the checkered flag.

Upon seeing the checkered flag and crossing the finish line, drivers are instructed to slow to a safe speed and return to pit road, the garage, or the paddock.

Design

There is no standard design for the checkered flag. While it does typically always consist of alternating black-and-white squares arranged in a checkerboard pattern, the number, size, and proportion of the squares varies. Typically the top corner closest to the flag pole is black; however, this is not a universal standard.

Stock car racing and Champ Car utilize a special version of the flag sewn for Victory Lane celebrations; these typically feature the name and date of the race and (if applicable) the logo of the presenting sponsor. These are used for post-race pictures and are typically given to the team alongside the trophy.

Use of Flags

While historically flags were the only means of communication race directors had with drivers, modern radios have made this mostly obsolete on ovals. Drivers in the highest level of series utilize their race engineers, crew chiefs, and spotters to inform them of changing track conditions; however, in the event of a radio failure, drivers are able to use the flags as a back up. Flags are still used to communicate track conditions with fans, and remain the primary method used to communicate with drivers in lower-tier series.

Road racing does still rely on flags, due to the impracticality of placing spotters around the entire circuit.