Martin Brundle wants one F1 flag banned that Sebastian Vettel hated

Martin Brundle would like to see blue flags scrapped from Formula 1, though he can see a pitfall to that plan. 

A blue flag in Formula 1 is an order for a slower car to move over for a faster driver behind, who is coming through to lap that competitor. It is also a flag that sparked many memes for four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel with his frustrations trying to pass backmarkers.

Martin Brundle calls for blue flags to be axed from F1

Suzuka 2016 comes to mind, where, as Brundle himself put it, Vettel was “writing an audio book on blue flag procedures” over team radio.

And, in Brundle’s opinion, this particular flag should be banished from Formula 1.

“I think we should ban blue flags,” said Brundle when asked in a Sky F1 ‘Ask Me Anything’ session on Reddit if there are any rules he wants banned or brought in.

“I think drivers have lost the skills of working the traffic, managing the traffic as we used to have to do – I quite liked that!

“And now everybody has to jump out of the way like school kids when the big boys come through in the fast cars.”

That being said, Brundle knows not having blue flags in modern F1 could make lapping slower cars a problem.

“But the trouble is, with today’s aerodynamics, you might never get past the back-markers,” he admitted. “So, things have changed a little bit like that, but I do think it’s a skill that’s been lost.”

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Otherwise, Brundle thinks Formula 1 is in a good place, if the FIA can shorten the Singapore Grand Prix, regarded as the most physically demanding race on the calendar for the drivers.

“I think the rest of it has been fairly well fine-tuned, to be honest,” said Brundle. “In terms of the cars are well, they’re scrutineered and they’re well monitored for integrity and for safety and for legality and what have you.

“I think the races are a decent length. I’d probably shorten the Singapore Grand Prix a little bit like we do in Monaco. Monaco is 260km. I’d probably make Singapore 280km. In all the other races, the most the first complete lap after 300km. So, tweak that a little bit. But, no, I’m calm how we are.

“I’ve never known Formula 1 as popular as it is today. So, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I would say that.”

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