Lewis Hamilton thinks F1's latest rule change on double-waved yellow flags in qualifying is unnecessary and still leaves big unanswered questions for drivers.
The issue has been a prominent talking point in Formula One after Nico Rosberg's pole lap in Hungary included a purple middle sector which had double-waved yellows for Fernando Alonso's stricken car on the racing line. Despite the fact Hamilton and other drivers slowed almost to a halt, Rosberg lifted on entry to the corner before accelerating again-- ith the stewards deciding not to take any retrospective action having reviewed the lap.
That led Hamilton to seek clarification from FIA race director Charlie Whiting over the acceptable amount of lifting expected from a driver in that situation. Ahead of this weekend's race in Germany, Whiting has enforced a new rule that he will red flag a session in place of double-waved yellows to automatically end the laps of every driver on the circuit.
Though the FIA hopes that measure will end the confusion and remove the decision from the stewards, Hamilton believes there is still a grey area around yellow flag situations.
"It doesn't need to be red flagged," Hamilton said after FP2 at Hockenheim. "That means when Fernando was facing the other way way around the other day it's going to be red flagged ... We just need to all obey a rule, you're supposed to go a lot slower.
"Take caution, that's what it's supposed to be. It's up to [Whiting] at the end of the day, it's different to what we've had in the past and it's different last weekend and now it's different again. As long as it's clear."
When it was put to Hamilton the new rule meant drivers could no longer go faster than they should in cautionary situations, he replied: "They weren't supposed to in the first place anywhere, you're not supposed to go green or purple. You should be a certain amount slower than your previous lap, but anyways, stopping a session, that guarantees it.
"On the double yellow flags... It still doesn't address what's going to happen when there's a yellow flag. [Nico] Hulkenberg had the smallest lift [in Austria]. It was literally foot 100 percent, zero, back to 100 percent within a tenth of a second, so we're still going to have problems going forward. It's not the perfect solution, we need to come up with something better for sure."
F1's arrival in Hockenheim has been accompanied with several rule changes after Thursday's meeting of the Strategy Group, including the rejection of the Halo safety device for 2017 and the relaxation of the controversial radio communication rules. Hamilton, who seemed slightly exacerbated by the questions on those subjects, said it is hard to have an opinion when F1 keeps changing its mind on key issues.
"Honestly I couldn't care less. I've had ten questions about it and I couldn't care less. I have zero care which way they go because I don't think they know which way they're going.
"The [Strategy] Group says this and then Charlie says this, I couldn't care less. I've just got to focus on my job. Whatever rules they put in everyone has to abide by it."