Formation Lap
Before the race start, all cars complete one lap in grid order to warm tyres and brakes. Cars must maintain position and not overtake. The field then reforms on the grid for the standing start. Drivers who fall too far behind may need to start from the pit lane.
Standing Start
Five red lights illuminate sequentially, then all extinguish simultaneously to signal the start. Any car detected moving before lights out receives a penalty. Reaction times are measured to the millisecond. Jump starts typically incur a 5- or 10-second time penalty.
Safety Car
Deployed when conditions are too dangerous for racing at full speed (debris, crashed car, heavy rain). All cars must queue behind the safety car, no overtaking. Lapped cars may be waved through to unlap themselves. The race restarts when the safety car returns to the pits. A Virtual Safety Car (VSC) requires drivers to reduce speed by ~40% across all sectors without bunching the field.
Red Flag
Race is stopped entirely and cars return to the pit lane. Used for extreme conditions: major accidents, barrier repair, severe weather. The race can be restarted with a standing or rolling start. If a race cannot be restarted and less than 75% distance is completed, half points may be awarded (though recent rule changes have introduced a sliding scale).
Blue Flags
Shown to lapped cars when the race leaders are approaching. A lapped driver must let the faster car through within three flag marshal posts or face a penalty. Ignoring blue flags is one of the most common infringements and carries a 5-second time penalty, potentially escalating to a drive-through penalty for repeat offences.
Track Limits
Drivers must keep at least one wheel on (or above) the track surface at all times. Lap times set with all four wheels beyond the white line at a corner exit are deleted. In the race, persistent track limit violations result in a black-and-white flag warning, then a 5-second penalty. Specific corners are monitored electronically at each circuit.
Penalties
5-second: minor infringements (forcing another off track, unsafe release).
10-second: more serious incidents (causing a collision).
Drive-through: must pass through pit lane without stopping.
Stop-go (10s): pit lane stop for 10 seconds, most severe in-race penalty.
Black flag: disqualification (extremely rare).
DRS (Drag Reduction System)
When a car is within 1 second of the car ahead at a designated detection point, the following driver can open a rear wing flap on the subsequent straight to reduce drag and gain ~10-15 km/h. DRS is not available during the first two laps of the race or after a safety car restart. Multiple DRS zones exist at most circuits.