Why F1 cars now possess new safety feature seen after Isack Hadjar crash

It is hard to believe that 40 years after hazard warning lights became a legal requirement in the United Kingdom, and were common on road cars in the United States in the 1960s, F1 has adopted this particular safety feature.

The FIA announced in its Technical Regulations last year, under Article 14.3.3, that 'two further lights' would be required on the side of an F1 car, in addition to the single light mounted on the rear.

In wet conditions, the flashing red light on the rear has been invaluable to any driver who has been forced to navigate their way through the volumes of spray being emitted by the car they are following.

The FIA, however, has felt the need to go one step further this season, with the addition of the sidelights that mirror the effect of hazard warning lights, or blinkers, on standard road cars.

FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis has explained why the introduction of "added lights on the side of the car" has been made.

He said: "It is to counter a situation in the wet when there’s poor visibility. If a car is spinning and is in a lateral position onto ongoing traffic, these lights will help the ongoing car see the spinning car, and therefore, obviously, hopefully avoid it."

The new measure is in addition to the roll hoop being made "quite a lot stronger", according to Tombazis, whilst the side impact structure is "tougher".

Furthermore, he stated that, "the front nose is designed to withstand lateral impacts without falling off, and all the impact structures have become tougher and more strict.

"These structures and safety measures are one more sign that safety is always a priority for the FIA."

You can see the new hazard warning lights working on Isack Hadjar's Red Bull following his crash in testing on Tuesday in an X post below.