What does the yellow flag mean in motorsport?

Danger ahead. With a single waved yellow you slow down, do not overtake and are ready to change direction; with a double waved yellow the track is wholly or partly blocked and you must be ready to stop. There is no overtaking from the first yellow flag until the green flag shown after the incident. In Argentina, under the 2026 RDA, overtaking in a yellow flag sector is penalised with a time penalty of 5 seconds to one minute or a pit penalty.

What does the red and yellow flag mean?

It is the yellow flag with red stripes. It is shown motionless and warns that grip is reduced ahead because of oil or water on the track. It does not announce a crash: it asks you to take care with braking and throttle in that area. Depending on the circumstances it stays out for at least four laps, unless the surface returns to normal sooner.

What does the white flag mean in a race?

Under FIA Appendix H and the Argentine RDA, a waved white flag warns that there is a much slower vehicle in that sector. In NASCAR, by contrast, it means one lap to go. Among the flags listed in Appendix H and the RDA there is no last-lap flag.

What is the difference between the black flag and the black flag with an orange disc?

Both are shown motionless with the car number on a black board. The plain black flag sends the driver to the pits on the next lap, by decision of the stewards. The black flag with an orange disc warns that the car has a mechanical problem that may be dangerous: the driver pits on the next lap and only rejoins once the scrutineers approve the repair. In karting, the black flag sends the driver straight to parc fermé. Under the Argentine RDA, the black flag with an orange disc plus a PENALIZ BOXES board is also used to apply a drive-through penalty.

Do you need to know the flags to get a racing licence?

Yes. The 2026 RDA of the ACA sporting commission (CDA) requires passing an exam on the flag code and the regulations to apply for a driver licence, and its eye examination requires no errors in perceiving the colours of the flags.

Are flags used in drifting?

It depends on who organises and sanctions the event. If the CDA or a regional federation sanctions it, the RDA and its flag code apply; if not, each series sets its own signals in its rules. Always ask at the briefing. How a competition is scored is covered in our article on how drifting is judged.

Oct 3, 20261 min readUpdated: Nov 7, 2026

Motorsport flags: what each one means

By Dmitrii McCarthy

Motorsport flags: what each one means

This reference is currently available in Spanish. It explains every flag in FIA Appendix H to the International Sporting Code (2026 edition, published on 23 June 2026) and in Argentina's 2026 Reglamento Deportivo Automovilístico (RDA) of the ACA sporting commission: single and double yellow, yellow with red stripes, green, red, light blue, white, the three black flags and the chequered flag, plus the Code 60, FCY, VSC and SLOW signals. It also covers what changes under the 2026 Argentine karting rules, how Formula 1 uses light panels with the same meaning as flags, and the official Pantone colours and minimum sizes.

Read the full guide, with all three reference tables, in the Spanish version.

Frequently asked questions

What does the yellow flag mean in motorsport?: Danger ahead. With a single waved yellow you slow down, do not overtake and are ready to change direction; with a double waved yellow the track is wholly or partly blocked and you must be ready to stop. There is no overtaking from the first yellow flag until the green flag shown after the incident. In Argentina, under the 2026 RDA, overtaking in a yellow flag sector is penalised with a time penalty of 5 seconds to one minute or a pit penalty.
What does the red and yellow flag mean?: It is the yellow flag with red stripes. It is shown motionless and warns that grip is reduced ahead because of oil or water on the track. It does not announce a crash: it asks you to take care with braking and throttle in that area. Depending on the circumstances it stays out for at least four laps, unless the surface returns to normal sooner.
What does the white flag mean in a race?: Under FIA Appendix H and the Argentine RDA, a waved white flag warns that there is a much slower vehicle in that sector. In NASCAR, by contrast, it means one lap to go. Among the flags listed in Appendix H and the RDA there is no last-lap flag.
What is the difference between the black flag and the black flag with an orange disc?: Both are shown motionless with the car number on a black board. The plain black flag sends the driver to the pits on the next lap, by decision of the stewards. The black flag with an orange disc warns that the car has a mechanical problem that may be dangerous: the driver pits on the next lap and only rejoins once the scrutineers approve the repair. In karting, the black flag sends the driver straight to parc fermé. Under the Argentine RDA, the black flag with an orange disc plus a PENALIZ BOXES board is also used to apply a drive-through penalty.
Do you need to know the flags to get a racing licence?: Yes. The 2026 RDA of the ACA sporting commission (CDA) requires passing an exam on the flag code and the regulations to apply for a driver licence, and its eye examination requires no errors in perceiving the colours of the flags.
Are flags used in drifting?: It depends on who organises and sanctions the event. If the CDA or a regional federation sanctions it, the RDA and its flag code apply; if not, each series sets its own signals in its rules. Always ask at the briefing. How a competition is scored is covered in our article on how drifting is judged.

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