During the Brazilian Grand Prix, the red flag period allowed for an unscheduled tire change, which led Norris to voice his frustrations with the FIA regulations. After the race, he mentioned how this rule brings both good and bad luck, calling it a rule “no one agrees with.”
Let’s clarify the situation. FIA regulations allow teams to change tires freely under a red flag. This rule has always been a point of debate and has often been brought up for potential changes.
In other motorsport categories, a red flag essentially means a pause, where everything is frozen. In IndyCar, for example, tires cannot be changed under a red flag. This raises the question: why isn’t it the same in Formula 1?
Lando Norris’s Complaint and the Complexity of FIA Rules
According to Lando Norris, the “free pit stop” essentially gives a significant advantage to those who hadn’t pitted before the red flag. It can be hard to accept when a driver gains a position they didn’t “earn” or, even worse, when a driver loses a position for this reason.
Part of the issue lies in the requirement to use two different compounds during a race, but that’s not the only problem. The red flag is typically deployed in critical conditions, often when there’s debris on the track. Allowing tire changes is also (and mainly) a safety measure. After the red flag period, all drivers re-enter the track in the safest conditions possible.
So yes, this rule does disrupt race strategies. However, it’s just the latest in a series of fortunate or unfortunate events. Mechanical issues, collisions, penalties outside the driver’s control, and even weather changes can be lucky for some and unlucky for others, but they’re not something that can be controlled.
Fundamentally, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has already proposed changes to this rule. Finding a solution to this problem without a complex rewrite of the regulations is challenging. Ultimately, finding an approach that works in every possible scenario is not as simple as it often seems.
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