Safety Makes F1’s Red Flag Controversy a Difficult Debate

Mercedes' British driver George Russell looks at his car after it caught fire during the 2023 Formula One Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne on April 2, 2023. (AFP)
Mercedes' British driver George Russell looks at his car after it caught fire during the 2023 Formula One Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne on April 2, 2023. (AFP)
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Safety Makes F1’s Red Flag Controversy a Difficult Debate

Mercedes' British driver George Russell looks at his car after it caught fire during the 2023 Formula One Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne on April 2, 2023. (AFP)
Mercedes' British driver George Russell looks at his car after it caught fire during the 2023 Formula One Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne on April 2, 2023. (AFP)

Formula One was accused of putting entertainment before sport in Sunday's crash-strewn and triple-stopped Australian Grand Prix but whether all those red flags needed to be thrown is a difficult debate.

In defense of race director Niels Wittich, safety always comes first.

Aston Martin principal Mike Krack, whose Spanish driver Fernando Alonso finished third after the final red flag reset the field to grid positions at the last re-start, said it was easy to criticize from the outside.

"Was it safe for the cars to go through the debris? It's not easy to judge. But the race director has to make a decision and as far as safety is concerned the decision must be respected even if we don't like it," he said.

The race was halted early on when Alex Albon's Williams was stuck on a kerb, with gravel strewn across the track.

The second stoppage came with four laps to go when Kevin Magnussen's Haas hit the wall, with a tire ripped off in the impact amid scattered debris.

The third standing start of the day, with two laps of racing to come, then ended in carnage with a third red flag and positions reverting to the previous grid order because the first sector had not been completed.

The field completed the last lap behind the safety car.

"I don't feel like the second to last red flag was needed," said McLaren's Lando Norris. "The last one, I'm sure it was because there was a lot of people in the gravel and things, but the one before, possibly not. Maybe to put on a bit of a show."

Mercedes' George Russell, who retired from the race, said the first red flag was "totally unnecessary".

Red Bull's double world champion Max Verstappen also criticized the last stoppage and said officials had created a problem for themselves.

Former F1 racer and Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle offered a different perspective.

"I don't think there's any instruction to whiz this show up when required," he said.

"It's very easy for us to sit on the sidelines going 'should have done this, should have done that'. But back in 2009 Felipe Massa nearly died (in Hungary) with a piece of somebody else's car coming through his cockpit.

"If there are pieces of debris on the track you can't have them flying through the air at a couple of hundred miles an hour."

It later emerged that a spectator had suffered a cut to his arm when struck by a piece of debris from Magnussen's car.

Red flag calls are the responsibility of the race director, but the FIA also has new sporting director Steve Nielsen and a remote operations center to ensure the correct processes are then followed.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, so apoplectic after a notorious 2021 Abu Dhabi finale in which a late tweak to safety car procedures cost Lewis Hamilton a record eighth title, agreed the rules were followed but wanted more clarity.

"Restarts are a great entertainment factor, but we need to understand going forward when a red flag is being put out and when it is a safety car or a VSC (virtual safety car). For those incidents you could have applied either," he said.

"Formula One is so successful because it is sport and we follow the rulebook and that gives great entertainment, as long as it is clear how it is being interpreted."



Novak Djokovic Breaks a Tie with Roger Federer for Most Grand Slam Matches in Tennis History

 Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 15, 2025 Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his second round match against Portugal's Jaime Faria. (Reuters)
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 15, 2025 Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his second round match against Portugal's Jaime Faria. (Reuters)
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Novak Djokovic Breaks a Tie with Roger Federer for Most Grand Slam Matches in Tennis History

 Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 15, 2025 Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his second round match against Portugal's Jaime Faria. (Reuters)
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 15, 2025 Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his second round match against Portugal's Jaime Faria. (Reuters)

Novak Djokovic added yet another record to his lengthy list, breaking a tie with Roger Federer for the most Grand Slam matches played in tennis history by reaching 430 on Wednesday at the Australian Open in what was a tougher-than-expected second-round victory.

Djokovic improved to 379-51 for his career at major tournaments, a .881 winning percentage, by defeating 21-year-old Portuguese qualifier Jaime Faria 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-2 in a match briefly interrupted by light rain before Rod Laver Arena's retractable roof was shut.

“Grand Slams, of course, they are the pillars of our sport. They mean everything for the history of the sport. ... Definitely the most important tournaments,” Djokovic said. “I’m just blessed to be making another record, I guess, today.”

Oh, yes, Djokovic already holds so many marks, many of which used to belong to Federer — who went 369-60 during his 429 Slam matches, a .860 winning percentage — and there are more on the horizon.

As it is, Djokovic has won the most Grand Slam singles titles of any man, 24, ahead of Rafael Nadal's 22 and Federer's 20 (those other two members of the Big Three are now retired). The 37-year-old Serb has spent more weeks at No. 1 in the rankings than any other player. He's played in 37 Slam finals, six more than Federer's old record. And so on and so on.

Consider, too, what could possibly await for Djokovic.

A title at the end of the 15 days at Melbourne Park would be his 25th at a major, a number never reached by any man or woman. It would also be his 11th at the Australian Open, equaling Margaret Court for the most. It would make him the oldest man in the Open era — which began in 1968 — to collect a Grand Slam singles trophy (Ken Rosewall was about six months younger when he won the 1972 Australian Open).

And it would be Djokovic's 100th tour-level tournament title, a nice round number behind only Jimmy Connors' 109 and Federer's 103 in the Open era among men.

Not everything has gone perfectly this week in Australia for Djokovic in his first tournament working with former on-court rival Andy Murray as his coach.

Both of Djokovic's matches so far came against a young player making his Grand Slam debut. And both times, he was pushed to four sets.

In the first round, it was against Nishesh Basavareddy, a 19-year-old American who turned pro only last month and is ranked 107th. In the second, it was Faria, who is ranked 125th, giving him a bit of a hard time, especially during a four-game run in the second set.

“He was playing lights-out tennis. ... I had to weather the storm,” Djokovic said. “I think I responded very well in the third and, particularly fourth, (sets).”