One of the most controversial moments of the Hungarian Grand Prix was caused by a technical problem in the FIA's automatic blue-flag system. This resulted in an ugly back-and-forth between Carlos Sainz and Oscar Piastri.
The governing body acknowledged that the automatic blue-flag system was faulty from lap six onwards, resulting in several drivers being alerted to the wrong flag. The problem occurred with multiple competitors during the race, and the FIA switched to manual blue flags from marshals.
The software glitch is a big part of the confusion, but there are questions about Sainz's awareness during his incident with Piastri.
FIA Confirms Blue Flag System Failure
The automatic blue-flag system is intended to alert the driver to a faster car approaching to lap them by sounding an alarm on the steering wheel.
But the system was prone to false alarms during the Hungarian Grand Prix, and drivers were not certain if they were true or not. Later, Haas driver Oliver Bearman admitted that his dashboard started flashing blue flags from lap six, and they appeared nearly every lap.
Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images
Once the fault was detected, the FIA turned off the automatic notifications and used only the old-fashioned blue flags and trackside light panels for the rest of the race.
The system failure also caused frustration in other parts of the field, as Racing Bulls drivers held up Max Verstappen.
Why Carlos Sainz Is Still Under Scrutiny
Although the FIA has acknowledged the software error, many believe it doesn't completely explain what happened between Sainz and Piastri.
Williams had already told Sainz on team radio that Piastri was coming in under blue flags, reports said. The electronic blue-light panels were also lit since Turn 13 on the previous lap.
But Sainz was in full battle with Fernando Alonso after falling back on the main straight. His attention was on Alonso and not the oncoming McLaren.
That run eventually left Sainz with no idea where Piastri's car was as the Australian tried to lap him. Piastri, however, suffered a gearbox issue which resulted in a DNF for the McLaren driver.
Both drivers exchanged words while addressing the media after the incident. The misunderstanding created one of the biggest talking points of the Hungarian GP season.