At a glance
F1 flags and light panels are official instructions, and the FIA says trackside panels have the same meaning as flags. A yellow means respond to a hazard; a double yellow requires a stronger response and can delete a qualifying lap.
- Single yellowReduce speedbe prepared to change direction
- Double yellowSlow significantlyprepare to change direction or stop
- Qualifying lapDeletedwhen crossing double-yellow sector
- Source edition2025FIA Issue 5, 30 April
Flags are instructions, not decoration
F1’s 2025 Sporting Regulations, Issue 5, Article 26.1, says official instructions come from signals in the FIA Code and that trackside light panels have the same meaning as flags. It then specifies what a driver must do in single- and double-waved-yellow sectors. This table covers selected F1 provisions; event notes can add local instructions.
| Signal | Driver response / meaning | F1 rule detail |
|---|---|---|
| Single waved yellow | Reduce speed and be prepared to change direction. | Stewards expect evidence of earlier braking and/or a discernible speed reduction in the sector (Art. 26.1a). |
| Double waved yellow | Reduce speed significantly and be prepared to change direction or stop. | Driver must not attempt a meaningful lap; any lap passing a double-yellow sector during qualifying or Sprint Qualifying is deleted (Art. 26.1b). |
| Double yellow under Safety Car / VSC | Meet the double-yellow response and obey the FIA minimum time in the sector. | Art. 26.1c adds the sector minimum time during Safety Car or VSC periods. |
| Red flag | Session is stopped; drivers immediately reduce speed and proceed slowly back to the pit lane. | For interrupted practice, qualifying and Sprint Qualifying, the clerk of the course orders red flags at all marshal posts (Art. 37.6). |
| Blue at pit exit | Warns a driver leaving the pit lane that cars are approaching on track. | Blue flag and/or flashing blue light may be shown at pit exit during practice and race sessions (Arts. 37.2, 53.1). |
| Green at the Line | Shown at the Line as the Safety Car returns to the pits. | During a race restart, overtaking remains prohibited until a driver crosses the Line after the Safety Car returns (Art. 52.2). |
| Chequered flag | End-of-session signal. | Shown at the Line when the leading car completes the scheduled distance; early or delayed display has separate result rules (Art. 59). |
Single and double yellows are different
A single waved yellow calls for reduced speed and readiness to change direction. Stewards expect earlier braking and/or a discernible speed reduction in the sector. A double yellow requires more. Drivers must significantly reduce speed and be prepared to change direction or stop, and the regulations require it to be clear that they have not attempted to set a meaningful lap time.
For a qualifying or Sprint Qualifying lap, the rule is explicit: a driver passing through a double-waved-yellow sector has that lap deleted. During a Safety Car or Virtual Safety Car, the FIA ECU’s minimum time also applies in each affected marshalling sector. The immediate requirement is safe speed and compliance, not an assumed fixed time penalty.
The same signal can trigger different procedure by session phase. A yellow during a timed lap affects that lap’s validity; a red suspends the session; green at the restart marks the point when racing resumes. Reading the display alone without its location and timing can therefore miss the rule that applies.
A red flag stops the session
Article 37.6 covers practice, qualifying and Sprint Qualifying interruptions when an accident blocks the circuit or conditions are dangerous. Drivers slow immediately and return to the pit lane, with minimum-time controls in each marshalling sector. The session may resume under separate procedures; red does not by itself mean abandonment.
Read blue and green in context
The 2025 rules specifically describe blue at pit exit as a warning of approaching cars. That is distinct from general blue-flag instructions elsewhere under the FIA Code. Green at the Line accompanies the Safety Car’s return; the rule defines when overtaking may resume. Location and session phase matter.
The chequered flag ends a session. If it appears early, Article 59 deems the finish at the leader’s last crossing before it; if late, at the time it should have ended.
Limits and source edition
These signals also serve different jobs: yellows warn of danger in a sector, red suspends the session, and chequered closes it. A driver should follow the displayed instruction immediately; stewards assess any alleged breach against the exact incident evidence, applicable rule and session context.
This reference summarizes selected F1 provisions in Issue 5 (30 April 2025). It does not replace the FIA Code, later rules, event notes or stewards’ decisions. An incident outcome depends on its evidence and regulatory context.
For steward decisions, see Penalties & Stewarding hub and F1 Explained hub.
Sources and method
The cited provisions are Articles 26.1(a–c), 37.2, 37.6, 52.2, 53.1 and 59 of the FIA 2025 Sporting Regulations, Issue 5 (30 April 2025). The summary does not infer fixed penalties; later editions and event instructions can differ.