F1 journo disagrees red flags were only used in Australian GP to increase the entertainment factor

F1 journalist Scott Mitchell-Malm stated that he thought the FIA and the stewards were correct to bring out the red flags during the Australian GP on Sunday (April 2).

The stewards decided to bring out the red flag a record three times for separate incidents during the course of the race. The first was caused by Alexander Albon's accident, the second by Kevin Magnussen's, and the third because of the Alpine drivers colliding with each other.

Many F1 fans and drivers didn't agree that all the red flags were needed, however on The Race Podcast, Mitchell-Malm said:

"I don't think it's that because I think if you were going to make a decision in the interest of making the races as interesting as possible, then you're not throwing that red flag. When they did at that moment because it took one Mercedes out of the race and it made the other incredibly vulnerable to a much faster Red Bull."

"So the trade-off there is gaining the excitement of the restart isn't worth what you have sacrificed for the broader race. You might get a short-term win with how much anticipation will be there for the full restart but that will pale in significance when you have an hour procession thereafter of Max Verstappen moving clear gradually,"

"But with these red flags, I don't know" - F1 world champion Max Verstappen

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen mentioned that he was not a fan of red flags being thrown out during the Australian GP in Melbourne. While analyzing his race In his post-race interview, he said:

"We had a very poor start, and lap one, I was careful because I had a lot to lose, and they had a lot to win. After that, the pace of the car was quick - you could see that straight away. We were always there, waiting for the DRS for the chance to pass. But with these red flags, I don't know."

"The first one, maybe you can do it, but the second one, I don't understand. So, it was a bit of a mess but we survived everything and we won, which, of course, is the most important thing."

It will be interesting to see if F1 and FIA will review the situation with the red flags ahead of the race in Baku at the end of the month amidst strong criticism from the fans and drivers alike.