What do the different IndyCar flag colors mean?

The American premier open-wheel championship, i.e., the IndyCar, is already dusted with three rounds of the championship as it heads towards Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, scheduled for May 4th.

IndyCar machines have recorded some of the highest 'top speeds' in motorsport, getting up to 236 mph at the end of some straights. Notably, this is more than their global counterpart, Formula 1. The high-octane on-track battles involving super-speed maneuvers don't always land the machines where the drivers intend, which results in a plethora of racing incidents bringing out various flags.

Such incidents usually trigger three of the nine flags. A solid yellow flag signals caution, warning drivers that the track is unsafe for racing speeds. A yellow flag with red stripes indicates a slippery surface caused by oil, water, or debris. The most serious, the red flag, brings the session to a complete stop, signifying that conditions are too hazardous for any on-track activity.

The other six flags, which are used in the usual course of business, are as follows: the Green flag is used to signal the start of any session, including the race. Next is the black and white chequered flag denoting the end of the said session. A solid blue flag means that a faster car is attempting to overtake the one in front. The last lap is usually signalled by a white flag. The black one is waved to call the driver to the pitlane, while black with a white cross means disqualification.

Controversial Red Flag of the Indianapolis 500 in the 2023 IndyCar Championship

AUTO: MAY 29 INDYCAR Series The 107th Indianapolis 500 - Source: Getty

The 2023 Indianapolis 500 holds the record for the most red flags in an IndyCar race, with three stoppages occurring within the final 15 laps. The sequence of incidents culminated in a contentious one-lap shootout, during which Josef Newgarden overtook Marcus Ericsson on the final lap to secure his first Indy 500 victory.

Following the third red flag, race control elevated Josef Newgarden from fourth to second after reviewing the order at the moment the caution was issued. Capitalizing on the revised positioning, Newgarden executed a decisive move on the restart, overtaking Marcus Ericsson and maintaining the lead to the checkered flag. Notably, Newgarden led just five of the 200 laps as opposed to Ericsson's 30 but managed to edge out the Swede in what became the fourth-closest finish in the race’s 107-year history, winning by a margin of just 0.0974 seconds.

Ericsson did not hesitate to call the finish unfair, which, according to him, should have happened under caution instead of racing speeds.

"I don't think it's safe to go out of the pits on cold tires for a restart when half the field is sort of still trying to get out on track when we go green,” said Ericsson in the post-race press conference. I don't think it's a fair way to end the race. I don't think it's the right way to end the race," said Ericsson [via Indystar]

In 2024, Josef Newgarden became the sixth driver to win back-to-back Indy 500 races.