[Jody Barton]

Just want to point out that in 1903 the very first car race had blue flags to warn drivers who were driving dangerously slowly to move out of the way for faster cars. It wasn't just for back markers. I can't remember when F1 dropped blue flags, I think it was early to mid 80's, but they were brought back in 1995 after a number of accidents caused by back markers in 1994. Because that's the other thing to consider, accidents. I've been a marshal, and I wouldn't want to have to stick my neck on the line because some crappy driver like Sirotkin or Grosjean had taken Lewis or Max out today. For me it is as simple as that. Do I think the blue flags need some rethinking? Yes. I happen to think the time gap should be altered for each race.

[Gojira]

See for me it’s all part of the skill, getting past everyone, I’m trying to think how they dealt with it in Senna/Mansell epic at Monaco did they have blue flags them days? Artificial racing hmmm not so sure myself blue flags kinda makes me think of “ghost car” in computer game racing

We have has a "blue flag" thread (I think it was resurrected tonight, though I've had a few this evening). They key point I will make is this, if you want to abolish blue flags then introduce a rule which means cars with a delta of more than 1 second a lap are not allowed to compete. With the speed differential between todays cars the backmaker are like rolling roadblocks. On tight street tracks like Soingapore that *is* artificually influencing the outcome.

I was thinking about that, and remembered that there used to be a 107% of pole requirement to be allowed to start.

The slowest cars on the grid today were running at about 105% of Hamilton's pole lap, so arguably there have been improvements over the years - especially as I seem to recall there was a fair amount of negotiating with the stewards at almost every race as to why cars that hadn't qualified within the 107% should still start.

Your 1 second difference would have only had 6 cars starting the race today  

Hopefuly the whizzy new 2021-spec cars will be able to get closer and pass more easily, which would go a long way to resolving the problem, at least most of the time...

[morini]

Your 1 second difference would have only had 6 cars starting the race today  

I would have been a fair bit more relaxed if that were the case today!

In all seriousness though, the problem is amplified on tight street circuits like Singapore. Slow cars really are a problem and doing away with blue flags would not do anything other than introduce some extra jeopardy into proceedings. I don't even enjoy safety cars skewing race results, so to give backmarkers a free licence to mess up someone’s race is not conducive to racing (in my opinion).

[NeilP]

Well as a Hamilton and Mercedes fan the last two races have been amazing and unexpected wins for both. That said as much praise as Mercedes are getting what the heck is going on at Ferrari? Vettel is taking some heat but I dont think the team itself is taking enough that was an appalling weekend from the choice of tyres to race strategy. Yet again their decision to take just one set of the yellow Soft tyre came back to hurt them. I have not seen the tyre choices for Sochi but I dont think tyre wear is as big an issue there as it was at Singapore.

I love the spectacle but in all honesty it was as boring a race as you can get, it was "Monagasqueest" as Croft would say. The driving of Perez was disgraceful this weekend, I personally think he deliberately took out Ocon and did his best to take out Sirotkin. I have to say if I ran F1 I am banning him for a race the danger of what he did cannot be overstated. I just wonder if maybe Mercedes will throw some money at Force India and have them keep Ocon and dump Perez instead and after his showing this weekend maybe that become a little easier to do!

Its been a crazy year on the driver front and I am sure there is more to come at the next race with Toro Rosso set to announce Kyvat as returning to the team if you can believe that.

[Monster Hesh]

"Max Verstappen says is was not fair to try and overtake a held-up Lewis Hamilton" during the blue flag incidents. How very noble of Max, really is nice to read that. The lead cars certainly kept a level head during it all.

[Jody Barton]

Whether he'd have got passed or not Hesh I agree, and I think Max actually meant it.

[Barry Malawi]

In all seriousness though, the problem is amplified on tight street circuits like Singapore. Slow cars really are a problem and doing away with blue flags would not do anything other than introduce some extra jeopardy into proceedings. I don't even enjoy safety cars skewing race results, so to give backmarkers a free licence to mess up someone’s race is not conducive to racing (in my opinion).

You just beat me to it morini... I was about to say that blue flags COULD be dispensed with if racing was done on tracks where passing is possible without risk of demolishing the car on a wall.  I hate street circuits anyway (especially this one and Monaco) but I think we'll eventually have more of them rather than fewer.  Any future plans I have seen involve street circuits.  

Look at Le Mans... they can race different classes in the same race but the fast ones have no problems getting past the very much slower ones.

[Jody Barton]

Barry Malawi I agree, I went on a street walk of the proposed Copenhagen circuit, and it made me realise that no matter how wide, how open you think you can make a street circuit, they're never really going to be suitable for F1. However, Liberty Media seemed determined to have GPs in Copenhagen, Miami, New York, Paris, London and the last one I heard was Seoul. It does not bode well for the future of F1 from a purerists or racing fans point of view.

[PapaofGags]

The Max thing, I think he meant it also, I was pleasantly surprised by his words, it a world of ruthless (insert word)'s it was nice to see/hear.

In Hesh's words "very noble"    

[morini]

Martin Bungle's column is up on Sky site, if anyone want's to read a lashed together jumble of words.