Under the old qualifying rules a driver that prompted a red flag was not permitted to take any further part in the session.
They also had their fastest time deleted, ensuring it was a significant disadvantage regardless of the circumstances.
The potential harshness of the regulation came to light at Sydney Motorsport Park late last season when Cam Waters speared off the road in wet conditions during a qualifying session.
Race control immediately threw a red flag, despite Waters being able to get out of the gravel trap under his own power.
He then lost his best time, which had him sitting third fastest, and was forced to sit out the rest of the session as he slumped to 17th on the grid.
In the 2022 operations manual, Rule 6.1.12 now reads: “Any driver or car that causes a red flag during a qualifying session will have their fastest lap at the time of the red flag deleted”.
There is no longer a reference to being benched from the session, which means a driver can continue if…
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