Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix was filled with drama, but it paled in comparison to the pandemonium of 2018 when the flag was waved prematurely.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen emerged victorious from a thrilling, rain-soaked race following an intense five-car showdown. The Dutch ace seized a crucial lead as McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri battled with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes behind him.
Post-race, Verstappen described the event as ‘crazy’, while Norris labelled it ‘chaos’. However, this was a well-orchestrated affair compared to the 2018 Canadian Grand Prix, where model Winnie Harlow’s premature wave of the chequered flag caused havoc on the track and left F1 bosses scrambling for a solution.
Flag waving has been a tradition for many celebrities over the years, with David Beckham, Serena Williams and Spider-man actor Tom Holland all having their moment in the spotlight. Yet, no one has made quite the impression that America’s Next Top Model alumna, Winnie Harlow did back in May 2018.
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The Canadian model etched her name into F1 history at the race, albeit not for reasons she might have preferred after she was given the responsibility of concluding the 70-lap race. The then 28-year-old Victoria’s Secret model found herself in a massive communication blunder which led to her waving the chequered flag on lap 69 – one lap earlier than the race was supposed to end, reports the Express.
Harlow was in a tizz as she mistakenly waved the chequered flag a lap too early, causing a right kerfuffle for Sebastian Vettel who was about to start his actual final lap at the Grand Prix. The model’s blunder on the track led to a mix-up with Vettel radioing his team in confusion, urging them to get the flag down while he zoomed around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for the real final lap.
Eventually, Harlow got it right, waving the flag at the correct moment as Vettel sped past to clinch the win. The F1 bigwigs were sweating bullets after the gaffe, remembering all too well that according to Sporting Regulation 43.2, an early flag could mess up the race results by fixing the final positions to the time it was shown.
Luckily, no changes occurred in the standings on the last lap, sparing Harlow and the bosses any further blushes. Vettel, chatting post-race, admitted the flag flub had him on edge: “Some of the marshals were already celebrating. I was just worried that people wouldn’t jump on the track and start celebrating. We’re still going at full pace.”
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(Image: winnieharlow/Instagram)
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After the race, Harlow took to Instagram to explain the mix-up to her followers, saying she was instructed to wave the chequered flag a lap too soon. “WHEN THEY TELL YOU TO WAVE THE FLAG A LAP TOO EARLY! You had one job sir!!! Hahaha but so grateful everyone was safe today and no one got hurt from this,” she posted.
The late FIA race director Charlie Whiting later confirmed it wasn’t Harlow’s mistake, stating: “She was given the order too early. So it’s not her fault.” He explained that a local Montreal official had asked if the race was on its final lap, but due to a miscommunication, they thought it was a statement rather than a question and prematurely signalled the end of the race.
Ross Brawn, F1 managing director, also came to Harlow’s defence, commenting: “Winnie simply followed the instructions she was given and I want to apologise for the grief she received and thank her for supporting Formula 1.”
While the incident may not have been Formula One’s proudest moment, Harlow is not alone in flag-waving blunders. Football legend Pele also made headlines at the 2002 Brazilian Grand Prix when he missed waving the flag for Michael Schumacher’s finish because he was facing the wrong way.