Racing Flags

In motorsports, flags have traditionally been used by track workers to communicate with drivers. Even with modern radio communication systems that allow individual teams to keep their drivers alert to changing track conditions, flags are still very important.

Status Flags
Status Flags are used by the starter and track marshals to communicate the condition of the course during sessions.

The Green Flag


When waved by the starter, the green flag signals the start and restart of a racing session. On road courses, it is also waved by marshals to indicate that a hazard has been cleared off of the track and it is safe to race again.

Caution Flags


The yellow flag is waved by both the starter and marshals to signal the start of a caution period. In oval racing, an accident or a stalled car is guaranteed to trigger a yellow-flag period in which the entire field slows down and lines up behind the safety car for a period of time before the track is deemed safe again.

For many of the major racing series, road course events are a different story. Because full-course cautions on these tracks normally take much longer to run, race control instead opts to throw localized cautions in certain sections of the track where incidents occur. Whenever there is an accident or a stalled car, flag stations at that section of the course will wave flags at oncoming traffic, alerting them of the hazard and the presence of marshals on the course. The rest of the course remains under green-flag conditions.

ARLA utilizes a special solid orange flag that indicates localized caution periods, as well as certain safety precautions that drivers must obey in an orange-flag zone. It is waved at local flag stations. According to the 2012 rulebook, drivers must slow down to pit road speed and may not overtake each other within the orange-flag zone until the flag is withdrawn.

A red and yellow striped flag, used at road courses only, is waved at local flag stations to indicate potential hazards on the track surface such as debris from an accident (in which case it is sometimes waved in conjunction with a local caution), dirt, water, or other matter that could affect traction. If this flag is not waved as a result of an accident, it is typically withdrawn after a few laps and the hazard is considered to be part of the track surface itself.

Another ARLA-exclusive road course flag is an orange flag with a red cross, indicating the presence of an ambulance on the course. Drivers encountering this flag must proceed with extreme caution, slowing down to half of pit road speed. Severe penalties are placed on drivers who are deemed to be endangering marshals and the medical crew under this flag. However, it is much more likely that in the event of a severe accident, race control would put out the red flag.

The Red Flag
The red flag is waved simultaneously by the starter and marshals to indicate that the track conditions are too dangerous to safely continue the race. The red flag is usually waved after a severe accident occurs or if inclement weather strikes. It is known that TM Master Cup Series officials wave the red flag after an accident of any kind in practice and qualifying sessions.

Depending on the series, teams may or may not work on their cars under the red flag. This is due to the idea of teams being likely to take advantage of time to repair their cars that they would not otherwise have if the race were simply under a yellow flag. However, it is known that ARLA is considering allowing teams to repair their cars under the red flag, provided that they have not suffered terminal damage. After the red flag is withdrawn, the field usually follows the safety car for a certain number of laps, and then the event can resume. However, in rare cases, races have been called prematurely after being red-flagged. This could be prompted by events such as a driver fatality or inclement weather striking shortly before the event is completed.

The White Flag


In most racing series, the white flag is waved by the starter when a driver begins his/her final lap of a qualifying session or as the leader of a race session. The white flag is traditionally followed by the checkered flag.

The Checkered Flag


The checkered flag is waved by the starter, and indicates the end of a session.