Whats with these lights?

I can't help but notice that green lights have started appearing on the back of the cars in testing. In the past they've always been red and I thought that there was a rule in place stating they could only be red for visibility reasons? Anyways, here's what I mean...



From this...


...to this.

Does anyone have any info on this? I know its nothing major but it's just puzzled me. Maybe it's to encourage drivers to run into the back of their cars (traffic light simulation...ie. "the renault's on green, lets do a sato!",lol, AFAIK honda were the first team to use green lights when they brought their new car out for testing this year.

-Fincent

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It's the new green image of F1

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It signals a rookie driver (That's Nelson Piquet Jr.)

I cannot give you a definate answer, but I know that Jaguar used a yellow rearlight in 2004. Though I have only ever found one pic of it in the early season and during the races actually never(!) have I seen a jaguar at tv in the pits showing the back. So I used a yellow one on the car, as this one pic was never contradicted.
So this is not the first time a different color is used.

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maybe green is an easier colour to spot through mist/rain?




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Green means car stopped or reversing?!!! I dunno, i never realised it had to be a particular colour.....didn't some team use blue lights before?

Well heres a williams most definitely going forwards...so it cant be the reverse theory

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we must get to the bottom of this!!!!

Dierome is absolutely right. Green means that the driver doesn't yet have their FIA Superlicence.

Rookie drivers need to drive a certain number of miles in an F1 car, at a test, before they're allowed to get the Superlicence (which they need to be allowed to race). The green light is a warning to other drivers that there's a rookie on the track.

Photoshopping I say!!!.....Hmmm, well that does make sense Rubidius........this light thing is nagging me though, I was almost certain I'd seen a blue one on a Toyota before, I just can't find a pic to prove it!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2007 11:57PM by The Lopper.

you're right lopper... i remember the pic, lol

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Im sure it cant be a rookie thing either. The piccie of Piquet Jnr ([www.motorsport.com]) was taken on the 8th of february where he has a red light...now the piccie with him showing a green light ([www.motorsport.com]) was taken on the 22nd of february. If the green light is the sign of a rookie then I dont understand it since he is sporting a green light 2 weeks AFTER sporting a red one. Surely it should be the other way around if a green light indicates a driver yet to gain his superlisence?

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Liverpool Waterfront Circuit (WIP)




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/2007 12:53AM by Fincent.

I'm a bit baffled as well. FIA technical regulations for F1 require a red rear light. I'll keep looking until I find the answer!

or what about cars on their in lap/out lap? something to tell distant drivers behind they could be moving slower?


Jenson drives it like he owns it; Lewis drives it like he stole it

maybe they're trying out a new light to see if it works better

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X (@ed24f1)

or maybe he is a driving traffic light

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I don't think it can be the Superlicence thing because of the reasons stated. Is it beyond the realms of possibility that the light can emit 2 different colours, i.e. red OR green? Because if the light is only set up to flash one colour, then that also discredits the reverse/stationary argument.

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It's just testing. Teams might be using it to make it easier to tell which car is what, i.e one has a red light, the other green.

Come the start of the season they will all have red lights.


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The green light really does mean rookie. I read it on one of the team's websites ages ago, where they had a description of each part of the car - and it definitely said that a green light in testing mean a rookie.

It's not a fixed rule, it's just an agreement between teams, so perhaps they needed to put Piquet in a car but didn't have time to change the light over. I don't know. But the green light 100% definitely means rookie. And if I get the time this afternoon, I'll try and back that up with a link or something.

yer the picture of piquet with the red light is actually zonta if you look in the wing mirror you'll see a flash of yellow and navy zontas helmet colours so its green light for rookies