Yellow flags

[norwichsam1]

I am just wondering why no one was penalised for overtaking under yellow flags at donington today. There appeared to be yellow flags out from hollywood right down through the craner curves to the old hairpin, apparently for safety reasons, yet Mike Jordan and Jason plato amongst others clearly overtook cars in this section of track while the yellows were being waved. If overtaking was to be allowed surely the red and yellow striped oil (slippery track) flag should have been waved, not the yellows that we saw today.

[Dave B]

Plato let Jordan re-take the position so no punishment was necessary. I'm not sure if Jordan did indeed pass under yellows, the marshal posts are so far back from the track at that point.

I take your point about the oil flag, but they're advisory whereas a yellow is mandatory - imagine how many drivers would take any notice of a "mere" caution?

[norwichsam1]

It wasn't just those 2 either, on the first lap a whole bunch of cars went down there side by side not really abiding by yellow flag rules, maybe a first lap under a safety car with a rolling start would have been a good idea, at least everyone would know where they stood, not as it was, with some cars seeming to be 'going for it' a lot more than others.

[BTCC2]

I counted 16 overtakes under yellow flags in race 3!

[Iain]

What a joke. :rolleyes: Jordan overtaking Turner and Turkington under yellows and going 3 abreast down the Craners was very very silly.

[LiamM]

Its an odd situation, the yellows are there for the drivers safety cos of the standing water, but if the drivers feel safe going 3-abreast, what can be done about it? Slippery track flag and an agreement between the drivers would have been better

[Allyc85]

It sounded a good idea when they announced it, but from what ive seen on TV it was very poorly policed.

[suzy m]

Its an odd situation, the yellows are there for the drivers safety cos of the standing water, but if the drivers feel safe going 3-abreast, what can be done about it?

It's not up to the drivers though. The yellow flags were out therefore they should not have been overtaking.

[LiamM]

Were the flags out all race - I was standing by the chicane I couldnt see. Maybe they should have been taken in when a dry line started to be produced?

[Mark]

Either they should have yellow flags or they shouldn't! (IMO they shouldn't).
I think it was too ambigous where the zone started and finished, drivers were able to get side by side going down the pit straight, so obviously neither is going to give way at the yellow zone.

[speedy king]

We didn't see such a rule in 1998 or any other monsoon races, i thought the flags made for a fake race, motorsport is dangerous, and dangerous conditions is what adds to a drivers skill.

[padster]

It marred my enjoyment a bit. As someone mentioned before, its not really racing. It looked like some drivers were backing off when other cars were going past either out of safety or to get the other penalised.

Ok theres a degree of safety required, but its hardly safe if the ruling is inconsistent.
Slippery condition flags, in my view, would be stating the obvious!

[Allyc85]

I was thinking about this today at work and thogut it was very poor race craft by the drivers. They were obviously told about the yellow flags and so should abide by the rules, this is meant to be the top series in the country, not a feeder series full of young, inexperienced drivers. If there had been a major shunt imagine the fuss, someone could have been in alot of trouble.

*jumps off of high horse*

[Mp3 Astra]

Were the flags out all race - I was standing by the chicane I couldnt see. Maybe they should have been taken in when a dry line started to be produced?

There was no dry line produced at all! It was a river for the entire race. However I do not feel that not having the yellows would have made it more dangerous, maybe some trips into the kitty litter, but nothing more than that I imagine.

[Iain]

The yellows did as much use as those matrix signs on the motorways. Everyone sees them, but ignores them. ;)

[Steelrat]

I thought Alan Gow's response on BTCC.NET pretty well cleared the confusion up..

http://www.btcc.net/forum/showthread.php?t=4720

P

[bt52b]

Kept expecting Jordan to get a drive thru'....

Very hard to hard to see the marshals posts on TV. Some thing maybe the TV director should look into. Even Ben and Tim got confused.

[bt52b]

I thought Alan Gow's response on BTCC.NET pretty well cleared the confusion up..

http://www.btcc.net/forum/showthread.php?t=4720

P

Plato was bloody lucky. A couple of laps to address his mistake is very generous, couple of corners would be more like it.