Yellow Flag

A yellow flag is a warning signal in Formula 1 indicating that there is a hazard ahead on the circuit. When a yellow flag is shown, drivers must slow down and are not permitted to overtake. A single yellow flag indicates a hazard on one side of the track; double yellow flags indicate a hazard across the full width of the track and require a significant reduction in speed. Ignoring yellow flags is a serious offence that can result in time penalties or disqualification. The death of Jules Bianchi at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, when he collided with a recovery vehicle under yellow flags, led to the introduction of the Virtual Safety Car and stricter enforcement of yellow flag rules.

Yellow flags have been part of F1 since the beginning. The enforcement of yellow flag rules has become stricter following several incidents, particularly Bianchi's fatal accident in 2014.