What does each F1 flag mean?
The six flags that rule an F1 race (green, yellow, blue, red, black and chequered) and what each one demands, with the flags from the latest race.
Summary
- Six main flags: green (track clear), yellow (danger), blue (a faster car is about to pass you), red (session stopped), black (out) and chequered (finish).
- Under yellow, overtaking is forbidden; under blue you must let the car through or you get a penalty.
- There are more (white, black and white, red and yellow…), but these six are enough to follow a race.
- 1
Green: track clear
The danger is over. You can go flat out. It is also used at the start.
- 2
Yellow: danger
There is an obstacle or a stopped car on the track. Slow down and overtaking is forbidden in that zone. One yellow warns of a hazard beside or partly on the track; two warn of one blocking the track.
- 3
Blue: someone is about to pass you
A faster car is coming up behind, usually a lapped one. You must let it through; if you ignore blue flags, you can be penalised.
- 4
Red: session stopped
The race director stops the session: cars return to the pits. It is used after serious accidents or in extreme conditions.
- 5
Black: out
Disqualification or a call to the pits. It is shown with the number of the car concerned.
- 6
Chequered: finish
It is waved at the finish line and marks the end of the race. Every driver sees it when they finish, whether first or last.
The flags of the latest race
How many yellow flags, red flags, safety cars and virtual safety cars there were in the latest race with data, lap by lap, and how often they have historically appeared at the circuit of the next Grand Prix.
Did you get it?
Glossary
- Yellow flag
- Danger on track: slow down and do not overtake in that zone.
- Blue flag
- A faster car is coming up behind: you must let it through.
- Red flag
- The session is stopped; cars return to the pits.
- Safety car
- A car that comes out on track after an incident so the cars lap slowly and bunched while the track is cleared.
- Virtual safety car (VSC)
- A neutralisation in which all cars must stay below a set time, without the safety car coming out on track.
- Lapped car
- A driver whom a leader has put a full lap down. They must let the fastest car through when shown the blue flag.
Sources
- Yellow means danger and requires slowing down with no overtaking; one yellow warns of a hazard beside or partly on the track and two yellows of one that blocks the track. Planet F1 · F1 flags: what does each flag mean in Formula 1?
- Red is shown by the race director when they decide to stop a session; drivers must slow down and return to the pits. Formula1.com · The beginner's guide to F1 flags
- Blue warns a lapped car that a faster one is coming: it must let it through or risk a penalty. Planet F1 · F1 flags: what does each flag mean in Formula 1?
- The chequered flag is waved at the finish line on the last lap and each driver sees it as they complete their race. Williams Racing · A Beginner's Guide to… The Flags of Formula 1
- Black = disqualification; black and white = conduct warning; white = slow car on track; red and yellow = change in grip. Motorsport Magazine · What does each F1 flag mean?
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. The explanations are popular-level: for the exact rules, check the FIA sporting regulations.
Keep learning
The undercut: pitting before your rival so you come out ahead when they stop. How it works, when it fails and how it looks in a real race.
The record is 1.80 seconds, but stopping costs far more: entering and leaving the pit lane takes around 20 seconds. See how it is done and what it cost in the latest race.