MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Formula One’s governing body is reviewing the use of the ‘meatball’ flag, used to tell drivers to return immediately to the pits because their car is damaged and a danger to others, following incidents at last weekend’s U.S. Grand Prix.
The black flag with an orange disc in the middle can effectively trigger retirement from the race for a driver if the damage cannot be fixed.
Alpine’s Fernando Alonso was allowed to continue with a flapping side mirror, that eventually fell off without hitting anyone, after a collision in the race at Austin while Red Bull’s Sergio Perez also raced with a broken front wing.
Neither were shown a black and orange flag, angering rivals Haas whose Danish driver Kevin Magnussen has seen it three times so far this season and suffered the consequences. The flag is waved at the instruction of the race director.
Alonso was demoted from seventh to 15th after Haas protested but was then reinstated at a stewards’ review in Mexico City on Thursday.
The stewards said in a statement they remained concerned that Alonso had been allowed to remain on track and recommended procedures be put in place for future incidents to ensure consistency and safety.
“We also understand the FIA president has initiated a review into the use of the black and orange flag,” they said.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
