Status Flags

The solid green flag is usually displayed by the starter to indicate the start of a race. During a race, it is displayed at the end of a caution period or a temporary delay to indicate that the race is restarting. The waving of a green flag is almost universally supplemented with the illumination of green lights (resembling traffic lights) at various intervals around the course, particularly on ovals.

If the race is not under caution or delayed, it is said to be "under green-flag conditions". However, the flag itself is typically not continuously waved by the starter. No flag displayed at the starter's stand implies safe, green-flag conditions. At all times, however, the green lights remain lit.

• When shown at a marshalling post, a green flag may indicate the end of a local yellow-flag zone.

• A separate green flag displayed at the entrance to the pit area indicate that the pits are open.

• In NASCAR, a green and yellow flag waved at the same time indicates that the race is being started or restarted under caution and laps are being counted. This is sometimes called a "running yellow" and usually occurs when a track is drying after a rain delay. The officials will utilize the cars in the field to facilitate the final drying of the course, but in order to not waste fuel (affecting fuel strategy, etc.), and delay the race further, the laps are counted towards the advertised race distance.

• Since around the 1990s, some races on occasion invite celebrity guests to wave the green flag at the start of the race.

• Before the use of starting lights in Formula One and most other FIA sanctioned or associated events, the national flag of the country in which a race is occurring, instead of a green flag, was used to signal its start. This practice is retained on occasion in the event of equipment failure, or simply as a tradition, such as at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

• In some series, the green flag is waved at the rear of the grid following the formation lap to indicate to the official controlling the race start that the final car has reached its starting position and the race can be started.

The solid yellow flag, or caution flag, universally requires drivers to slow down due to a hazard on the track, typically a crash, a stopped car, debris or light rain. However, the procedures for displaying the yellow flag vary for different racing styles and sanctioning bodies.  A yellow flag displayed at the starter's stand or a marshal station indicates that there is a hazard "downstream" of the station. The manner of display depends on the location of the hazard:

• A single waved flag denotes a hazard on the racing surface itself.

• A single stationary flag denotes a hazard near the racing surface.

• Two flags waved simultaneously denotes a hazard that wholly or partly blocks the racing surface (like an accident). This informs the driver that there may be marshals on the track and to prepare to stop, if necessary.

• When shown at a station, drivers are forbidden from overtaking until either the hazard or the next flag station displaying a green flag (signifying the end of a cautionary section) is passed. 

• This flag is shown at the discretion of the marshals manning the station.

When the safety car is on the circuit, all flag points will display a "safety car board" (a large white board with "SC" in large black lettering). When flag points are under radio control, this will happen immediately, otherwise, the board is displayed when the safety car comes round for the first time. This is accompanied by a waved yellow flag. Standard yellow flag conditions apply to the whole circuit; notably, overtaking is completely forbidden. When the safety car comes in and the race resumes, a green flag is displayed at the start line, and subsequently at all flag points around the circuit for one lap. Overtaking is not allowed until the cars have passed the start/finish line. 

When there are circumstances where double-waved yellow flags are needed yet usage of the safety car is not warranted, then the race will be under a virtual safety car period, during which all flag points will display a "VSC board" and all light panels on track will display the letters VSC surrounded by a flashing yellow border. Under the VSC procedure, all drivers on the track must reduce their speed and stay above a minimum time set by race officials at least once in each marshalling sector. Overtaking is not permitted unless another driver enters the pit lane or if a car slows down due to an obvious problem. When deemed safe to end the VSC procedure, teams are notified via the official messaging system 10 to 15 seconds before green flags are waved.

Full-course yellow, most races in the FIA World Endurance Championship may be under a full-course yellow period upon discretion of the race director when deemed necessary for safety reasons. Once declared, all flag points will display an "FCY board" and all cars on track must immediately slow down to 80 km/h (50 mph) and maintain their distance to the cars in front and behind. Overtaking is forbidden until green flags are waved.

In both NASCAR and IndyCar, a single yellow flag waved from the starter's stand places the race under caution. At this time, a pace car will enter the course and lead the field at a safe, predetermined, reduced speed. On oval tracks, yellow lights universally supplement the primary flag at the start-finish line. These lights usually operate in a flashing manner, in order to quickly gain the attention of the drivers. The field is locked into place at the onset of caution periods and no one is allowed to pass another car without mutual consent (excluding crashed and immobile cars). In some races, though, cars may pass one another on pit road during a caution period. When the starter shows a furled yellow flag, it indicates one lap to green.

On road course races in IndyCar, a single yellow flag at a marshaling station indicates a "local" yellow, similar to the aforementioned rules in Formula One. In these cases, the pace car does not enter the track, and the caution period is limited only to that particular segment of the track. Green flag racing prevails around the remainder of the course. Twin yellow flags displayed at the starter's stand indicates a "full-course caution", in which the pace car would enter the track and the entire course would be under caution. This might occur for a serious crash or other major hazards. NASCAR has also experimented with "local yellows" on their road course events, although a plain blue flag is used instead.

The Code 60 Flag is used as an alternative to the full-course yellow and safety car periods used during other FIA-backed races, the 24H Series uses a series of purple lights and flags to declare a "Code 60" period. Under "Code 60", overtaking is not allowed and all drivers must slow their cars down to a maximum of 60 km/h (37 mph). The race resumes immediately when green flags are waved and green lights are flashing at each marshal post. Yellow flags are still used to indicate local cautions.

The red and yellow striped flag or surface flag (also sometimes referred to as "slippery surface," "change of surface," "surface hazard," flag and colloquially as the "oil" flag) is displayed stationary at local flag stations to indicate that track surface conditions have changed due to substances, or minor hazard on the track which could reduce grip or cause a car to lose control. Generally, fluids such as oil, coolant, and even localised water, or small pieces of debris or gravel are the hazards. Many organizations will display this flag for only two laps, after which the drivers should all be aware of the hazard, and changed surface is considered to merely be part of the track. This also allows the flag to be re-displayed if conditions change further.

The solid red flag is displayed when conditions are too dangerous to continue the session. Depending on the series and the circumstances, the cars are typically directed to proceed immediately to pit road, or to stop at a specific spot on the track. In some severe cases the cars might be required to stop immediately where they are. During red flag conditions, repair work in the pits, the garage area, or on the track is typically prohibited, except in non-points playing races.

There are numerous hazards that might cause a need to halt or prematurely end a session. Many hazards, such as rain, lightning, darkness, a blocked course (due to debris, water, or safety vehicles), a car on fire, a severely demolished car (where parts are dropped on the track, like the engine), a serious accident where a driver was seriously injured or killed (only if death is officially announced) or a multi-car crash (especially one that results in serious injuries, extensive time to clean up or one that results in damage to walls, fences or the surface itself which require repairs) might prompt series officials to call for the red flag.

Some series use a red flag to temporarily stop a race nearing the end of a race after an accident or other incident to minimize the number of caution laps, even when the situation would not warrant a red flag at other points in the race. This is usually done when a collision requiring cleanup would otherwise extend the caution period to take longer than the amount of race laps available to finish the race, when a fuel spill occurs on the circuit, or to maximize safety team work. During such a red-flag period, cars are directed to stop in line at a specific point on the track, usually directly opposite to the incident. 

In the event of a bad start, the yellow and red flags may be displayed together, or a unique diagonally divided red and yellow flag can be displayed, to indicate a restart. Drivers will go back to their starting positions and line up for another start. This is rarely used where computer scoring is involved, and can create much confusion as the drivers attempt to get back in order.

In Formula One, the white flag is waved on the last corner and the pit straight at the end of free practice sessions[citation needed] on Friday and Saturday, indicating to drivers that there are drivers doing practice starts on the pit straight. Drivers are permitted to do one practice start at the end of each free practice session.

In all championships which use the FIA International Sporting Code, as well as North American road racing, the white flag indicates the presence of an officials car such as ambulance, fire truck, jet dryer, etc. or a competitor moving at below normal speed in the section of track covered by the flag station. In IndyCar, a stationary white flag means they are moving above one-third racing speed while waving means they are moving below one-third racing speed.

In most American forms of motorsports – including NASCAR, IndyCar, and North American motorcycle road racing[15] – a waved white flag displayed at the starter's stand indicates the start of the final lap of the race.

The chequered flag is displayed at the start-finish line to indicate that the race is officially finished. At some circuits, the first flag point will display a repeat chequered flag (usually on the opposite side of the circuit). The flag is commonly associated with the winner of a race, as they are the first driver to "take" (in other words, drive past) the chequered flag.

Upon seeing the chequered flag and crossing the finish line, drivers are required to slow to a safe speed, and return to their garage, parc fermé, or paddock, depending on the applicable regulations of the series.

Prior to the adoption of starting lights, the Supercars series and its forerunners used a green flag to start the race. Following the adoption of lights as the routine starting device, if the starting lights were unavailable a race was started by lowering the national flag of whichever country the race was held in.

The solid black flag is used to summon a driver to the pits. It is usually associated with a penalty imposed on the driver for disobeying the rules, but may also be used when a car is suffering a mechanical failure, leaking fluid, smoking excessively, exhibiting damage such as loose bodywork, loose hood, dragging bumper, or any other damage that could potentially become a hazard to the driver or other competitors. In some cases, the black flag may be used to call a driver to the pits when their radio is not working, though this is not common.

In FIA International-permitted series, the black flag means an immediate disqualification for the driver involved. The car number of the summoned driver is displayed on the finish line. Some sanctioning bodies wave the black flag at all observation posts simultaneously to order all drivers to clear the track after the starter waves the red flag, often in the case of a serious accident.

In Supercars races, infringements such as exceeding the pit lane speed limit, violating a restart after a safety car period, or causing an accident will result in a drive through pit penalty that must be taken in reasonable time. Rarely, due to the short amount of time in which the driver has to complete the penalty, such a penalty may be rescinded.

When the black flag is used for disciplinary reasons in most races in North America, a driver is required to return to pit lane for at minimum a drive-through penalty. In cases of damage, the car must return to the pits and team is given an opportunity make repairs and get the car up to an acceptable condition, after which time it may rejoin the race. In either case, a driver being black-flagged is given a short window (typically 3–5 laps) to adhere. If the driver fails to serve the black flag and return to the pits within the required window, officials will cease scoring of that car. In rare cases when a disciplinary black flag comes very near the end of the race, and the race finishes before the serving window closes, officials may simply issue an alternative penalty, such as a 1-lap penalty. 

A driver may be black-flagged for failing to maintain a reasonable minimum speed, even if no apparent damage or mechanical failure is present. If the driver still cannot maintain minimum speed in relation to the leaders after repairs, the driver may be required to park for the remainder of the race. For example, NASCAR requires that a driver run at or above 115 percent of the fastest lap time by any driver in the final practice. IndyCar has a 105 percent rule. 

A mechanical black flag is a black flag with an orange disc in its center which indicates that a vehicle is being summoned to the pits due to serious mechanical problems or loose bodywork that presents a risk to other competitors. At some road racing events, it is used to summon the vehicle to the pits to inform the driver of violation "maximum sound levels". This flag is also known as the "meatball"

A diagonally divided black-and-white flag is displayed with a car number to indicate a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct. This flag can be displayed if a car tries to intentionally drive another car off the course, or if a driver gets out of their car and initiates an altercation with another driver. For example, Charles Leclerc was shown this flag for "bad sportsmanship" while defending from Lewis Hamilton during the 2019 Italian Grand Prix.  The black and white diagonal flag can also mean a warning to a driver for exceeding track limits. For example, in 2023 Austrian Grand Prix in Formula One which had multiple penalties handed out to drivers for exceeding track limits, the black and white flag was shown to drivers multiple times: on their third infringement the flag was shown, and then on the fourth and subsequent infringements time penalties were given.

Some administrators (NASCAR and IndyCar) do not distinguish mechanical problems or unsportsmanlike conduct from rules violations and simply use the solid black flag for all violations.

Some leagues use a black flag with a white saltire. This is displayed with a car number if a driver ignores the other black flags for an extended period and also it indicates that that car is no longer being scored. In NASCAR, the car is not scored again until it pays attention to the black flag by pitting once this flag is displayed. However, in IndyCar, they are no longer scored indefinitely (disqualified).

Ignoring the black flag or the black-white cross flag intentionally may result in post-race disciplinary action in addition to disqualification from the race. Fines, probation, suspensions, and other penalties (e.g., points being docked from championship standings) may result, depending upon the severity of the situation.

A light blue flag, sometimes with a diagonal yellow, orange, or red stripe, informs a driver that a faster car is approaching and that the driver should move aside to allow one or more faster cars to pass. During a race, this would only be usually shown to a driver who is getting lapped but during practice or qualifying sessions, it could be shown to any driver. 

In most series, the blue flag is not mandatory—drivers obey it only as a courtesy to their fellow racers. As such, it is often referred to as the "courtesy flag".   In other series, drivers get severely penalized for not yielding or for interfering with the leaders, including getting sent to the pits for the rest of the race. 

In Formula One, if the driver about to be lapped ignores three waved blue flags in a row, he is required to serve a drive-through penalty. The blue flag may also be used to warn a driver that another car on the same lap is going to attempt to overtake them.  

Contrary to Formula 1 regulations, back-markers in GT racing don’t have to move out of the way under blue flags. They are allowed to, but they don’t have to. In GT racing, blue flags are meant as a heads-up that a faster driver is approaching and wants to pass. It is up to the faster driver to make this a clean pass. The backmarker, however, is not allowed to block the move of a quicker driver

• The steady blue flag is displayed when a faster car is approaching

• The blue flag is waved when the faster car is about to overtake

• Not all racing series use blue flags, for example they are not used in rally or rallycross.

• In Formula One, blue lights or flags may be shown at the end of pit lanes to warn of approaching cars on the track.