Blue flag rule - how to solve it at Hungaroring

[Henrik Jordfald Olsen]

If I could I tried to make the finish/start straight the place for people to pass.
But when I saw a battle taking place behind me, I moved over whenever I could on the track.

I made a mistake once when someone lapped me, and that was staying wide in the penultimate corner instead of the inside.

 

[Dino Paolini]

I was very grateful to all that did let me past in a classical blue-flag way. By briefly slowing down on a safe spot, making the lapping manouver a fast and save procedure for everyone.

Anthony clearly sticked to the new rule that is described in this thread. It is not a critique to him and we had already talked about it on teamspeak and he's a very nice guy and we have no unsolved problems or the likes

But I still want to compare the procedure lapping him in comparison to the classic way.
It was:
a) Much slower; I lost most of my 10 ~second gap in a span of 3 or 4 laps that I had gained to the next position over the course of the race.
b) Massively more dangerous: I had by far the most risk in the entire race to either crash out myself when trying to get close to him in dirty air, to be close enough to make a (dangerous) move. Or crash him out because of the same reasons.

I think the classic way of letting someone pass on a safe spot has only advantages to the way that someone has to actively attack a lapped driver to pass him

 

[Nicolai Nicholson]

Anthony have not had the time to stay updated on the forum (very understandibly) and have therefore misunderstood the intention of the rule. He was supposed to let you past no later than the first time you approached t1, by slowing down when you went to the right side of the s/f track, or through going too deep into t1.

But I do not blame Anthony at all. The problem is that it has been information overload this brake. No question that I am greatful for all the help and activity the last months, but the back side of the medal is that there is too much to read in the forum.

It is important that we can also be a place for a hard working family guy. I require from all that they prepare themselves enough on track to be safe, competitive and consistant, but I cannot expect them to additionally read the massive amount of threads and posts in the forum.

Usually we have had two compulsary threads, incident report and drivers meeting, where all key information would be and everybody required to read it.

So I think we need to get back to identifying what is required to read and what is not in the forum.

So to underline, no blame to Anthony, no blame to Jonas, Kennett and other who have done a massive job lately. The only one to blame is me, because I was aware of the problem all along but didn't manage to solve/face it.

 

[Nicolai Nicholson]

I think I'll start in the other end, to describe what I want to change from how the blue flag rule have been executed earlier at Presto GP.

What I want to "get rid of" is that the slower drivers sees the faster car in his mirrors, and due to the great respect we all have for each other the slower car would usually slow down way to early to be sure that he was in no way blocking the faster car. The result of this was that faster cars usually didn't lose any time, while slower car lost 2-3 sec. (I do this myself, I feel the fear of getting in the way of (usually) Reik, and I usually slow down/move way to early to be "on the safe side" not to disturb his race.

What I want is for the faster car to approch (get within 0,3 sec) of the slower car before the slower car feels obliged to do something.

PrestoGP should not be a society where the faster cars race are holy ground and the slower cars have to take all responsibillity and time loss. (I am not having a go on the faster drivers, only "the system" )

 

[Reik Major]

I feel very much honored to be mentioned often if it's about the lapping guys.

In addition the same often I requested you to not destroy your races for me. Please guys don't feel under pressure if a qicker car comes closer.

 

[Alfonso Clarke]

keep ure pace up & let leaders passed on a straight or slow down a wee bit but not to much?
u still get a warnings thats a wee bit of a put off but its there for a reason, u just have to get used to it.

P.s Reik "The lapper" major i wish i was lapping people like u do mate but that will come in time

 

[Peter Marshall]

Me being lapped.
Never the best part of any given race but I will not give up. Nor will I leave the race track except to avoid having an accident; which in fact I did have to do once during the race.

Of course I am looking forward more than watching behind.

 

[Nicolai Nicholson]

Peter, that was a true pleasure to watch I think that might be a better idea, post video's of well executed lapping situations

 

[Nicolai Nicholson]

I thought of a better way to word the blue flag rule, that might sound better to the sceptics

We have the same blue flag rule as in normal racing (and f1), but with the following clarifications:
Blue flag is first waved when car is approx. 0,350 behind. Second blue flag (when the slower driver has to act) is when they reach the first safe place, assuming the faster car is within approx. 0,7 sec. Safe spot is defined by slower car.

And as always, don't act unpredictable, like moving off the racing line or slowing down at dangerous spots. And normal Gentlemen rules aplly as always

If a driver seem to find fewer safe spots than others, this can be discussed in the forum (before or after the race).

 

[Peter Marshall]

Peter, that was a true pleasure to watch I think that might be a better idea, post video's of well executed lapping situations

Thank you Nico, however, I'll do my very best not to be the featured driver in any future training videos pertaining to lapping procedures. J

Although I do expect to be lapped at Abu Dhabi; being a very difficult track for me to be both quick and not cut or run wide. If only it would rain there! J

 

[Reik Major]

Thank you for the vid Peter! In the beginning you can see that I braked on the inside for the chicane just in case Peter wants to let me by there.

The disadvantage of that was my lower exit speed, so Peter had to lift much when he decided to let me pass after the chicane. I would have been fine if Peter held his position through the twisty part and let me and the others lap afterwards.

But from the safety aspect it was perfect.

PS: Any other tracks won't be that hard in terms of lapping so I'm glad we made it at hungaroring as good as possible.

 

[Tim McIver]

The skeptic does indeed like the rewording! I think this version is very reasonable and should serve everyone well. Under the old new rule, I felt like the faster driver had a greater need to attack and make the pass because he wasn't simply going to be let by. If the car being lapped will yield at the first safe and reasonable place then patience is the best course.

 

[Tim McIver]

double

 

[Nicolai Nicholson]

I felt like the faster driver had a greater need to attack and make the pass because he wasn't simply going to be let by. If the car being lapped will yield at the first safe and reasonable place then patience is the best course.

I am still expecting you to attack, and the slower car to yield/help when he sees you move off the racing line

 

[Nicolai Nicholson]

Double post again?

 

[Kennett Ylitalo]

Seems to be a forum bug..let's test...edit: didn't do double this time..

 

[Henrik Jordfald Olsen]

I noticed that even if I get the error message : "Cannot do....in 30 seconds" it still posts the message