“Oil”
The Yellow With Red Stripes
AKA: The Change Of Surface Flag
| Q 15.1(g) Stationary: Slippery Surface AheadQ 15.1(h) Waved: Slippery Surface Imminent.(Appendix 40) 15.7. Yellow flag with Red stripes – Stationary. Slippery surface ahead. 15.8. Yellow flag with Red stripes – Waved. Slippery surface imminent. |
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Another masterpiece of understatement from the Blue Book
What do we use it for?
To Say “Please Look at the Floor”
Not Just for Oil!
Stationary:
Change in Circuit Surface or Small Debris
Prior to a Waved Yellow and Red
Waved:
Extreme Change in Circuit Surface or Quantity of Small Debris Imminent
Debris can be.. Oil, Petrol, Brake Fluid, Water, Change in Surface, Sand, Soil, Cement, Broken Body Work, Squashed Animals, Rain, Hail, Snow Etc.
If a waved “oil flag” (for that’s what we all still call it) is displayed then the post preceding should show a stationary.
There has always been a lot of discussion about when to use an oil flag or whether to use a yellow.
In my opinion this is very much down to your own judgment at the time. If the drivers are faced with a large piece of a car which has reduced itself to kit form, then definitely a yellow.
If on the other hand there is a small piece of car or any of the above then it’s decision time.
A point of view made at training days is, if the piece of debris is big enough to damage a following car then a yellow should definitely be used.
One consideration pointed out to me years ago is that by using the “please look at the track surface” flag the drivers are still able to race and may actually find avoidance easier than when restricted by a yellow. Food for thought.
Another thing to remember is the old trick of showing the flag and pointing to the sky when weather conditions have changed on that part of the circuit.
Where the regulations say “waved” for the oil flag the general opinion is to hold the flag and move it up and down for emphasis rather than standard waving as this can lead to confusion with the red and yellow flags due to the stripes.