In better news: the soreness on my head is getting less (had a nasty skin infection) so I should be able to get what’s left of my hair cut soon. 🤣

Green: send it Yellow: someone sent it too hard, slow down Red: someone sent it WAY too hard and now the fun is over Black: You sent it in such a way that the stewards want to have a chat about it Blue: someone behind you is sending it harder than you White: you are sending it harder than the guys up ahead Red and yellow: Sending it might be a bad idea right now Meatball: You sent it too hard and damaged your car, get that fixed Checkered: The time to send it is over

Slight clarification on US flag rules, at least for SCCA or amateur racing. The white flag indicates last lap ONLY when shown at the start/finish stand. Otherwise it does mean slow moving vehicle on course. There are also two meanings for the black flag. If displayed (with a point) at start/finish (and possibly a flag station midway around the course.) that means report to pit steward now. A black flag shown at all stations mean "all proceed to pit lane". The latter usually only occurs after a red flag.

Really good video. I'm glad we moved on from the strange New York colour meanings In the UK racing rule book: Single waved yellow means "Danger, slow down, no overtaking." Double yellow means "Increased danger, slow down, be prepared to leave the racing line, no overtaking" Blue flags as covered very well. A static blue flag means "a competitor's car is behind you" A waved blue flag means "a competitor's car is close behind you" In practice we know it means a faster/hot lapping/lap up car is closing. The white flag is also used static meaning "there is a slow car in the next sector" the next sector displaying a waved white until the car moves on and they go static. I'm a marshal and very much looking forward to this season and getting to wave my flags again!

On UK railways on a 4 aspect signal 2 yellows means the next signal will be displaying a single yellow aspect so you pass at a reduced speed from line speed, a single yellow aspect means slow down and prepare to stop at the next signal as it will be displaying a red aspect. I'm a bit of a rail nerd haha

It's amazing how many people who've been racing even for a few years, think blue flags *universally* mean get out of the way. Read your country's motorsport rules, then your clubs, then listen at the briefing :D

10:37 Flags are repeated on the steering wheel screen in F1 and I guess in many other categories, but it still makes sense to wave the physical flags. The electronic system may fail, the steward may not press the button properly, or the driver may not notice the signal on the steering wheel. It's impressive how quickly stewards can pick up and wave the yellow flag when something happens.

Fun fact - at least in Australia, the word "red" is not allowed on trackside radios used by marshalls. You have to say "that colour" in your messages. The only time it's allowed is when a red flag is called by race control.

8:06 NASCAR rule books state under 10-2.2 “Blue Flag with Diagonal Yellow Stripe” Subsection B “Vehicles being given this flag must prepare to yield to overtaking traffic.” That’s the closest to saying get out of the way without saying it.

I have volunteered at almost every major event at Bathurst since 2018, and I have used almost every flag at least once (except chequered). That being red, blue, green, yellow, lack of adhesion (LOA), white, black, meatball (orange circle on black) and bad sportsmanship flags.

As a Flag Marshal/Post Chief since 1985, and I've marshalled quite a bit in the USA with CART, Champ Car, IMSA (at Sebring, Road Atlanta and Portland), may I respectfully point out one or two things. Thye white flag in the US can mean a slow moving vehicle if shown from the marshal's station. 2) In the US, the reason for the yellow band is because up until 1989 no flags were waved on marshal stations and the yellow band was added to make them more visible. 3) The flags in use this last weekend at Brands were all the larger size and a real pain in high winds! 4) In FIA sectioned events, all flags are waved except the "Change of Surface" flag because, when waved, it has been confused with the red. 5) great channel! Thanks. Always something to get the grey matter going!

In FIA sanctioned racing there is no stationary Blue or Yellow Flags (except a stationary blue at Pit Exit), in F1 human marshals are able to wave blue flags at their own discretion but during F1 races the light panels do it automatically via the timing loops in the track and marshals are told to Blue Flag "Car xx" over the radio communications.

Also in karting there is the Battenberg flag where the lead driver acts as the safety car until a green flag is shown, also the green flag with a chevron to indicate a false start and to do another warm up lap to try the race start again

Fun with Flags with Sheldon Millward....

I'm sure Sheldon would approve of you appropriating his title for this episode. Very well done, and get better soon!

I really like the obscure NASCAR blue and yellow flags held tight on the stick (not waved) to signify half distance.

Under FIA rules, there are no longer static flags except for the Lack of Adhesion (Red and yellow) which is always static.

Re yellows, when I first learnt, probably early 80's in Australia, double waived yellow was the section containing the incident, single waived yellow was the section before the incident, & a stationary yellow before that. A driver would keep it nailed at the first, consider lifting at the second, then hope for an escape route from the incident, & a trip to the Stewards, at the double waived yellows.

The white flag one lap to go came from dirt track speedway in America and while it is used in the USA for road racing and paved oval speedways, it has become universal for all car based dirt speedway racing throughout the USA, Australia and NZ. For dirt track motorcycle speedway (Solo's and Sidecars or Outfits as sidecars were often called) the one lap to go is a stationary yellow flag with a black cross (x)

US Blue Flag Meaning: “There is a race going on and you’re not in it.”

At Indy they used to use number boards around the track to maintain separation during yellows. If you saw a number high than the number you saw on the previous board you were going too fast, a lower number, you were going to slow. I remember the hoopla of a local sports guy incredulous that changing to closing up the field was to fulfill the "blood-lust" by creating more accidents for the fans to drool over. Until someone told him that closing up the field was the standard practice everywhere else but Indy. It was just a hold over from the old days before they used the pace car during cautions.

Aidan, can you do a video on Dakar, maybe about the 80's proto-trucks.

"Fun with flags" Now I need to say it (from Big Bang Theory): "Dr. Aidan Millward Presents: Dr. Aidan Millward's Fun With Flags"

What's also fascinating is to see how some series combine flags. NASCAR, for instance, they either still do or used to, upon a session completion such as the hour long practice sessions will wave the red and black flags together to signify that.

I think the meaning of traffic signals has changed. Now it seems like they're Red: Stop, Green: Go, Yellow: GO REAL FAST!!

I remember indoor karting one time. Someone in front crashed, in fact he fractured his collarbone and was stuck. I was so focused on getting the square corner just right, I never saw the red light. Stopped on a 180 just in time. Conclusion 1: indoor kart tracks are pure amateur fecal matter, don’t go there. They didn’t know how to get him out, they even had to be woken up before they called an ambulance. #2: flags, or even bright lights, don’t attract a lot of attention if you’re in the zone. The light was clear enough, but I never noticed. I, as an untrained casual driver on a Friday night, was completely oblivious to other concerns apart from my corner. My fault, sure, but the lights didn’t cut through my brain freeze

For the algorithm. Though dissapointed there was no Sheldon 😃. The RAC TT from the Ards circuit in 1928 had: blue flag held stationary - keep left a faster car wants to pass. Blue waved - proceed with caution. Yellow flag - stop immediately. The red flag was shown with the cars number and meant that car had to stop until given permission to proceed. PS. Going back to your video on BTCC's confusing race result systems; check out the handicapping used in the Ards TT races.🤯

One of my favorites, while the debris (red/yellow) flag is never waved, it can be rocked back and forth to indicate that the debris is, um, "organic" in nature. Ie roadkill. Also, another important difference between US style and FIA style flagging is that in the US, the first flag station without a yellow flag displayed means you're clear of the incident, resume the zoom-zoom. FIA rules require a green flag to be displayed at that flag station.

Former flag marshall here. Australia has similar rules, the few variants are no stationary blue (waved are still enforce and the flaggies will dob you in if there isn't a TV broadcast to do it), stationary yellow precedes a waved yellow, waved yellow can also precede a double yellow, double yellow indicates blocked track.

You forgot the black flag! While in motorsports like F1 it means you are disqualified, whereas in NASCAR it indicates you have a penalty and have to go to the pits. NASCAR has an additional rule: if you ignore the black flag for five laps, they will display a black flag with a white "x" through it. This can either indicate you are no longer being scored, or in some cases can outright indicate a disqualification. NASCAR also has an odd method of operating flags on road courses. Since a single yellow flag is used to indicate a full course caution, a local yellow is indicated by making use of a normal blue flag (no stripes).

In NASCAR, the solid Blue flag (no yellow stripe) is only used on road courses, and is a direct equivalent to the FIA Yellow - i.e, danger ahead, slow down, no passing. The Yellow flag is only shown for full course safety car periods.

Look it's the Meyer Shank Racing flag!

AM meets History with Hilbert. Awesome 👌 😆😉

Something I;ve always wondered, but forget to look into it. Cheers man.

Indycar does have the white flags used the European way on street courses. If a white flag is waved at a marshals post, it mean slow car on track. If it is waved at the S/F line it means final lap. I only noticed this last year myself.

Fun with flags! 👍 This cracked me up! 😅

The 2 yellows on the British railways denote a preliminary caution. The next signal is 1 yellow the caution, then red. So a better comparison for F1 would be that 2 yellows equates to a steady yellow.

Funny, today I've received a pdf for my racing driver license test. Nice.

So, in NASCAR, the solid blue flag is used on road courses to indicate a problem ahead and be extra alert-but has no restrictions, it is only advisory. NASCAR, it seems, will use any excuse to have a full-course caution and does not utilize local yellows on its road courses. Indycar uses the same flags to mean different things depending on if it's on a road course or oval. For example, the white flag at an oval track indicates final lap, but on a road course, it is the same as F1: A course car or disabled (but moving) race car is on the track. Blue flag: On oval courses is advisory, but on road courses it seems to be mandatory compliance to give way, rule book is a bit unclear. It's called a "command blue," but doesn't indicate how the distinction is made. And onto the yellows: Of course, any yellow on an oval is always a full-course caution. On a road course in Indy Car, it does mean slow down and no passing, but a single, motionless yellow is a local caution; single waved yellow means be prepared to stop and/or take immediate evasive action. A green flag is waved at the next marshal stand, just like F1. Motionless double-yellow flags are for a full-course caution (possibly supplemented by waving yellows at problem site).

One of my aunts husband used to go to the F1 race on the Hungaroring every year when I was young and he given me some of the "guide books" they had at the race. It had a lot of info, about the teams, the drivers, their helmet and the rules including the flags. As an 8 year old I loved those books.

As a marshall who has done us and Canada the rules are very similar between the 2 countries and even with the rules abroad. The Blue Flag and associated rules (passing car is the one who is to do it safely) is used stationery or waved in Canada. The Blue Flag with the Yellow Stripe is a US addition which i like as it aids with the potential of colour blind drivers for them do notice it. There is a comment later by Gregory Nagy, about the use of red flag all and black flag all which i wont elaborate on too much. The only differences between N.American and European is the naming and amount of flags. I have never waved 2 yellows at the same time, never has been brought up either, also the Black Flag with the Orange Circle is the Mechanical Black or Meatball Flag, which you described perfectly. At some events we may go single stationery yellow on the first lap or or stationary white for the drivers to see where the stations are. NASCAR uses Blue for local yellow regardless of severity at stations becuase the drivers are told to lift when they see the yellow. Huge mess, needless to say they are sissies.

In NASCAR, there was a flagman’s position at the entrance to pit road where during a caution, they would either wave a green flag if the pits were open, or a red flag with a faint yellow “X” if pit road is closed. About 15 years ago now the flag man has been replaced with a light cluster that flashes red and yellow when pits are closed, and shows solid green otherwise. A similar light cluster also exists now on the other end of pit road where the official with the “Stop/Go” paddle used to stand.

Perfect timing this came out while I was in my calc class and I got to watch it before I go to work!

I went for a marshall's taster day at Silverstone in the summer last year. It;s a way to give people a chance to see if they'd like to become a rgular marshall by giving it a try. I never persued it because it would just be too difficult around my working hours (I work nights) Maybe someday in the future. However, it did make me chuckle that we got taught how to wave the flags properly. I#m curious how many people didn;t know how to wave a flag that made them decide that needed to eb something they do. I also got to watch the start of a race from the start gantry, which was very cool :)

4:40 you said during Le Grand you'd try and fit that in somewhere!

Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.

The F1 version of Sheldon Cooper's Fun With Flags only its Aidan Millward a way much more likeable good bloke indeed , cant stand that character in Big Bang Theory lol

Meanwhile, in Australia Green - Send it Yellow - Someone sent it too hard Red - Someone sent it so hard that you lot need to calm down White - Someone isn’t sending it as hard Blue - Someone is sending it harder than you, move over Meatball - You sent it so hard you need repairing Black - Your sendage was enough to impress the stewarts Checkered - You can stop sending it now

Really interesting. I swear when I started watching f1 in the late 90s there was a white flag for slow moving vehicle on track. Also with no radios in bike racing a white flag with a red Cross means rain in that sector of track

I find it funny you've called it "fun with flags" you do have a kind of Sheldon Cooper thing going on 😂 As entertaining as always, keep up the good work!

its been a while since i have been on a track but a white flag at the start finish line signifies last lap, anywhere else on the course it signifies a slow vehicle

awesome video absoulotly fascinating

Interesting overview, thanks for doing this. A couple of observations: I have done various trackside and start tower flagging jobs over the years here in Canada, but I have never seen a blue and yellow flag. Regarding the larger size of the checkered flag, that combined with the fact that many are sewn from overlapping panels/strips makes the checkered flag a real bugger to wave. It is just plain HEAVY!

A lot of people ask that how is it with all this modern tech cloth on a stick is still the best way. That’s because in most things motorsport the simplest way is often the best

Brilliant video as per mate

The thumbnail was partially endorsed by Sheldon Cooper presents: "fun with flags"

Here's a little bit of Indy 500 history to go with this, the 1983 race: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bNplp8Rp3dKsYJs.html Al Unser Jnr, 5 laps down, jumps a restart to be at the front of the race. He let's his dad past, but then spends several laps blocking/being in the way of second place Tom Sneva. He is shown the static blue with yellow stripe flag, but the announcers do point out that if it was waved "furiously", he would be forced to move out of the way. He never is forced, and does get passed eventually. So even in the early 80s in IndyCartChampcar, waved blues were a proper instruction, it appears.

Fun, with flags!

The ones at donington are really bright too

The Code 60 flag and procedure are not used in the WEC, the only championship were they are implemented is the Creventic 24 Hour Series.

Really interesting. Despite having watched a fair bit of IMSA, I've never noticed the yellow stripe on the blue flag. Shall keep an eye out for it soon! Hope you're fully recovered soon. Plain eczema is a sodding nuisance, so all I can say is "ouch!" out of sympathy!

Here in the US, for club racing, the blue flag just means look in your mirrors, somebody faster is approaching you. In the SCCA, the "rules of the road" state that the overtaking driver has the responsibility to make a safe/clean pass, but that the car being overtaken, has the responsibility to be aware that s(he) is being overtaken. This is for club racing. NASCAR is worthless when it comes to flags, at least they got rid of the "racing" to the yellow since there is normally only 1 flag stand on an oval.

I do love the BBC joke whit the snack!

I saw on a documentary one time that the boss of the Mercedes grand prix team of the 1930s used to wave flags at his drivers as they Passed the pits (which, as you know, didn't have a pit wall between pit lane and the track back then) to convey messages because there was no team radio back then. The way the documentary portrayed it, it was like he was the only one waving flags and none of the other teams or the marshals had flags. Or at least that's the impression I got. It's been a long time since I saw it and I don't have a source so perhaps my memory deceives me. So your early history of flags in motor racing was news to me.

Fun with Flags, in Theory to stop the Big Bang!

Very informative. All you needed was to sit on a sofa with a whiteboard behind you. 😊

Great video

Hey, some clarification on the red and yellow flag. It means change of adhesion. Could be water, oil, mud or gravel from someone running off then coming back on. Some places actually have a rain flag, white with Red Cross on it.

If they're borrowed from stop lights that means they're likely indirectly borrowed from New York Central Railroad System signaling.

Came here after watching GPlaps's 1966 German GP video.

Syracuse, that’s an hour from me!!!!

Thanks!

Code 60 needs to be everywhere

The blue flag is attested at least as early as 1962. Graham Hill mentioned it when talking about Stirling Moss' career-ending crash at Goodwood, saying: "I never acknowledge the blue flag. I never have and I certainly didn’t do it then." Which sounds less diabolical if it was only an advisory thing in those days.

Big thanks to all the marshals who volunteer their time, enthusiastically waving coloured fabric at racing drivers.

Red-and-yellow: Welp, that's a blown McLaren-Honda engine Black with an orange circle (a.k.a. "Meatball"): Pit immediately Blue: OUT OF THE WAY, SLOW CAR! Green: GO! Yellow: MALDONADO! Red: Welp, there went Grosjean putting his baguette into Maldonado's toaster sending him into Kvyat who then came like a Torpedo into an unsuspecting Mazepin who then punted Wehrlein onto his side which caused Kubica to spear the barrier while simultaneously sending Yuji Ide into the catchfence... White: One to go! Checkered: GET IN THERE, LEWIS!

Take it same with slow zones as well as VSC / FCY

Don't know if it exists in any other series, but NASCAR has a black flag with white cross to indicate that a driver is no longer being scored for failure to return to pit road after being given the standard black flag.

Thanks

A couple of others in US racing, along with combinations tha have particular meanings: Solid Black - report to the pit. Usually for a penalty, but can also be requested by a team if their radios are out. There will also be a number board at the start/finish line with the affected car number. May also be pointed furled as a warning. Black with White cross - You are no longer being scored. Either you've ignored three black flags, or done something so ridiculous the stewards have decided your race is over. Now. White with Red cross - this used to be the American standard for emergency vehicle on the track, then solid white from anywhere but the main flagstand meant the same thing. After several incidents with cars hitting emergency vehicles regardless of this flag, typically an emergency vehicle on the track calls for a full-course yellow. This has not stopped drivers from hitting emergency vehicles entirely. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gNGJq9uZm6nDmqs.html Red and Yellow stripes - can mean fluid on track, but is general to any track condition regarding safety - Sand, loose gravel, or deteriorating pavement will all bring out this flag Black and red together - end of practice session Red and checker - race ending before scheduled distance/time. Often weather, but could be any other reason.

Maybe a continuation for this video: unique flags to the major racing series (if there's enough for a video)

Now that we have an almost standardised system, no one would be daft enough to change it, would they? Step forward the Negligenzurgerlurgerburgering, allegedly. Previously 'they' used to operate track days to the system above, as the users hail from the 4 corners of the earth and flag colours transcend language barriers. This all worked reasonably well. Somehow.... and without consultation or notification to the track day operators someone decided to change the system, but only on track days. The justification for this is the flags were (are) too difficult for none race licence holders to comprehend. So..... a white flag is now yellow. Surface flags are also yellow, but only sometimes it depends on the marshall. And yellow flags remain yellow. This means it's obviously very clear what you should do... you must identify what type of yellow yellow is. It might be a yellow where overtaking is both allowed and often a very good idea. Users are advised to observe what type of vehicle they are overtaking, how 'hard' is it driving, and is it loaded. These factors are big clues. Obeying this yellow in error and not overtaking leads to effectively stationary rolling roadblocks travelling at the pace of an ancient diesel fire truck...sub 10 kph is possible at the steepest uphill section. Catch one of these around a blind corner and it can cause the other types of yellow flag. Unless it's the fast type of white flag that's actually yellow. You lot following this mess? There's questions at the end! This is when the E unit needs to get somewhere pronto. This yellow flag is a travelling white, but its travelling faster than the novice users. No one dares explain this mess to novices cos its jolly tricky to discern. Thus if you mis- identify what type of yellow the yellow flag is... you could slow down, cause a tail back then see no flag at the next MP, resulting in complete confusion where some of the users now overtake and accelerate into.... the next rolling yellow flag. Which could be the type of scary yellow one where obviously the surface is obstructed or contaminated. Unless it's not this type and obviously you should allow for people and damaged vehicles and parts. And not spin into people, after losing control on the known fluids you weren't warned about. Got all that? Good. Now those questions: what colour is a 200 euro note? Should accidents stats be differentiated by your starsign? When exactly did the bad old days stop? Is the author joking?

Next, do naval signal flags!

It’s a good overview, I love the little bits of history you do. Was Mazepin only penalised once in 2 years? Just one little detail re: the railway signals. (Sorry, I’m going to be that guy): double yellow means the next signal is showing yellow (which in turn indicates the next signal is red) so it’s not really analogous to double waved yellows.

I think what is interesting is that the marshals are not being paid, they are all volunteers including F1. They are even risking their lives and the tragic death of a marshal at the Australian GP one year is proof of that. Yet the marshals have a vital role, turn up whether it is raining or sunny and perform an outstanding job all without getting a dime. In Australia the flag rules are the same as in Europe. Now if you want to see a marshal wave a blue flag, watch an old Bathurst 1000 race when there were multiple classes. OMG I don't think the marshals ever stopped waving those blue flags throughout the whole race. Oh I forgot. The best chequred flag waver would have to be the guy who done the Adelaide GP's, well worth a search on KZfaq.

During the Chinese Cultural Revolution, some bright spark decided that red should be go and green stop. Chaos ensued.

Can you talk about the 2007 Bathurst with John Cleland and Jason Plato?

It took me awhile to figure out why blue flags got me penalties in rFactor. It's much better to have them as just a warning in single-class racing. Otherwise it's like having a 'no getting your laps back' rule.

Another 2 flags that has two meanings dependt on where you are is the Black Flag and the Black and White Flag In the US Black it means you have been disqualified and Black and White and you have a pen. However, there are some series/places (like the Supercars in Australia) where black is Pen and Black and White is bad sportsmanship flag

One oddity I've seen - 1988 Portuguese GP was stopped using black flags, no idea why unless it was either a mistake, or they had a separate system. Would love to know more if anyone knows!

The flag I hate the most is the green and white checkered flag, which reminds me of the worst thing to have come into motorsport. NASCAR Stage Racing. Usually a yellow comes out as well because a FCY is normally done after a stage. I really just want them to remove the yellow but keep the stages in for points.

I missed Amy Farrah Fowler here with you..

Actually didn't know there was a difference between a static and a waved flag... I just thought he person was lazy for not waving it!

Ps I enjoy your vids but as a 50 year old bald man….just hit the clippers mate and go grade 3 all over. A good first step to even shorter. Trust me. Not having a go at all and all are welcome to do what they like but…you’ll never look back! Keep up the good work

Of course the red flag in F1 nowadays means session/race suspended not stopped. Which is how we get inflated times for GP's these days like the Canadian GP 2011 for example, which isn't really the longest ever F1 race - minus the stoppage it's shorter than Olivier Panis' win at Monaco by 18 seconds It's also interesting given that it means disqualification for one or more drivers the black flag isn't the same size as the chequered flag or red flag

"Bravo Zulu" sir

i wish the rest of the world adopted the US white flag. like, its a little QOL feature that detracts nothing. it also reduces confusion like we saw at the japan Gp last year

Wondering how many of these would have come from aviation flags or railway signals the flags used in Yacht racing seem unrelated, though possibly some of them do stand for abbreviations of something...

Beep boop algorithm

I don't like the traffic light systems f1 teams use for pit lanes these days. They don't seem reliable. The old lollipop man is the better option. And I think they'll be a time when flags will be a thing of the past apart from the chequered flag. Cos of lights on the track and on the driver's steering wheels.