F1 23 How To Control Red Flags

Red flags being implemented in F1 23 is fantastic news, as it was one of the most requested features in past generations of the Formula 1 game.

Many fans have been asking for red flags to be included in an F1 game for years as they add a good amount of extra realism. Now, if there is a big crash or extremely wet weather in F1 23, a red flag can appear just like it would in real life.

This will force all drivers to head into the pits and wait until the red flag period has finished. During this time, drivers can perform a few actions just like they can in real-world Formula 1.

In this F1 23 guide, I’m going to take a deeper look at red flags in F1 23, how they work, how to enable and change the red flag frequency, and just how this will affect gameplay.

How do red flags work in F1 23?

So let’s start by taking a quick look at how red flags work in F1 23. Essentially a red flag can be thrown at any time when the track is too unsafe for cars to continue lapping.

This means that any time there is a large accident, there is debris on track, or if the track conditions are poor such as extremely wet weather. Then a red flag might be shown to bring the cars back to the pits while the track is cleared of accident debris or conditions improve.

This general principle is the same with red flags in F1 23.

What will trigger a red flag in F1 23?

The goal of implementing red flags in F1 23 was essentially to replicate real-world racing that can be seen on TV. This means the trigger for a red flag in F1 23 will be very similar to what it would be in real-world Formula 1.

Currently, a red flag can be shown in F1 23 for the following conditions;

• A big crash between AI cars, or between the player and the AI
• A mechanical failure such as an engine blowout
• A car stopping on track for any reason
• Extremely wet weather

What happens during a red flag in F1 23?

When it comes to the time that a red flag is shown in F1 23, a few things will happen. You will still remain in control of your car but will be shown a message to stick to a reduced pace and not overtake any cars. You are then told by an in-game message to return to the pit lane and lineup just like in a real-world red flag.

While you are in the pit lane, you will get access to the race strategy screen where you can make some changes to your car. These changes include changing tyres and repairing any damage that you might have.

--- Article continues below --- Shop Sim Racing Discounts

3% Discount
SIMRACINGSETUP Shop All MOZA Racing Discounts 5% Discount
SIMRACINGSETUP 5% Discount
SIMRACINGSETUP24

The benefit of changing tyres during a red flag is that you won’t lose any time or positions because you don’t need to pit. Drivers can use red flags to their advantage as a free pitstop.

After the red flag ends, you will then go back to the track where you will line up on the grid, just like at the start of a race. Then the race will restart with the lights going out and the race will continue.

How to turn on red flags in F1 23?

If you’re not a fan of red flags or stoppages mid-race, then don’t fear. They can be turned on or off in F1 23’s settings. The red flag rules can be set much like any other setting such as safety car, flags and the formation lap.

To turn on red flags you’ll need to;

1. Head into the settings menu, and open up the rules & flags menu.
2. Scroll down to red flags.
3. Choose any of the three settings to enable red flags, reduced, standard or increased.

Changing the frequency of red flags in F1 23

As well as simply enabling or disabling red flags in F1 23, you can also change the frequency at which they appear in races. Changing the frequency will alter how often or how little a red flag will happen during a race.

To change the frequency of red flags in F1 23;

1. Head into the settings menu, and open up the rules & flags menu the same as above.
2. Scroll down to red flags.
3. Change the red flag setting to any of the three options, reduced, standard or increased.

The reduced frequency will lower the chance of a red flag appearing in a race but doesn’t stop them from happening altogether. With this setting, a really big accident or really bad weather would need to occur for a red flag to trigger.

Standard is the normal setting and means that red flags will happen as planned by the developers. This setting should lead to a fairly realistic number of red flags happening throughout the season.

Increased will increase the chances of a red flag happening. This won’t increase the number of accidents during a race. Instead, it will trigger a red flag during less chaotic moments such as a less severe accident.

Conclusion

As you can see, adding red flags for the first time in a long time to a Formula 1 game does change a lot. Crazy events during a race can trigger a red flag, and this will adjust your race strategy quite considerably.

This is a realistic feature that many are glad to see return in F1 23. Let us know what you think of red flags in this year’s F1 game in the comments.

Grab Your Sim Racing Gear Here

You can use the links below to shop for your favourite sim racing products, or for any products that we may have recommended. These links are affiliate links, and will earn us a small commission, with no additional cost for you.

Shop Fanatec

Shop MOZA Racing

Shop Logitech

Shop GT Omega

Shop Simucube

Shop Sim Lab

Frequently asked questions

Article written by Rich

Founder of SimRacingSetups.com

Rich is the founder, F1 car setup creator and content writer for SimRacingSetups. With over a decade of experience as a graphic designer, marketing director, competitive sim racer and avid motorsport fan, Rich founded SimRacingSetup.com to share his passion and knowledge of sim racing and Formula 1 with other sim racers. Regularly writes for sim racing website SimRaceReviews.com

View all articles written by Rich