The new era of Formula 1 officially began with five days of private testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, which took place this week. Along with the completely new, fundamentally changed technical regulation and everything it brings in terms of propulsion and aerodynamics, the public’s attention was drawn to the implementation of additional yellow warning lights (“blinkers”) on cars, located on the front side of the rearview mirror.
Greater driver safety
This safety supplement is prescribed by Article 14.3.3 of the FIA Technical Regulations, and for the first time in the history of the competition, it brings a signal light system somewhat similar to that on road cars. According to these rules, each car must be equipped with two additional yellow lights located on the sides, integrated in the mirrors, in addition to the already existing red rain light on the rear of the car.
The taillight was crucial for navigating through the water spray, but it only provided better visibility to drivers directly behind the car, leaving dangerous “blind spots” in the event of accidents, the FIA’s rulemaking authorities said. The new side hazard lights will turn on automatically under the same conditions as the rear ones.
Formula 1
Nikolas Tombazisthe FIA’s director of single-seaters, explained that the introduction of the side lights is a direct response to situations where the driver loses control of the vehicle in wet conditions. He pointed out that the new lights are designed to help oncoming drivers spot a car that is spinning on the track or is sideways in relation to other competitors, which should avoid serious incidents caused by poor visibility.
Bernie Collinsexpert consultant and former strategist of the Aston Martin team, further emphasized the weaknesses of the current system. The traditional rear light, in fact, offers no protection in scenarios where the car returns to the track at an unusual angle or stands sideways in the middle of a thick curtain of rain. In such moments, cars can literally become invisible to other drivers, even at a distance of only a few meters.
Taking all this into account, it is quite clear why the “blinkers” on the rear-view mirrors will become a mandatory part of the safety system for all participants of the Formula 1 World Championship from the 2026 season. The first tests in Barcelona served as a confirmation of the functionality of this system in real conditions on the track before the start of the competition season, since it is part of the private “shakedowna” was held precisely in the rain – so we got the first shots of the system in action. Experts agree that this is a significant additional step forward in the protection of drivers, considering that incidents in conditions of poor visibility due to rain have been one of the biggest safety challenges of Formula 1 for years.