Mercedes drivers George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli have obtained a one-place grid drop every for a Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying infraction.
Russell loses his front-row spot to Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, whereas Alpine driver Pierre Gasly is promoted to fourth on the grid at Antonelli’s expense.
After Q2 was red-flagged for a crash for Haas driver Esteban Ocon, each Mercedes drivers had been despatched out into the pitlane earlier than race management had introduced a restart time, which isn’t allowed by the sporting rules. As such each Mercedes drivers obtain a one-place grid drop for Sunday’s grand prix.
Of their verdict the FIA race stewards defined that Mercedes’ head of trackside engineering Andrew Shovlin owned up for a mistake decoding the timing display’s messages from race management.
“The crew consultant, Mr Shovlin, in proof acknowledged that he gave the instruction for the automobiles to be launched, in error, having misinterpreted the message posted on web page 3 of the Timing Display, ‘estimated re-start time’ to be a message advising the precise re-start time,” the decision learn.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Picture by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Pictures
“He argued that there was no sporting benefit gained on this case as there was enough time remaining (11 minutes) for different groups to carry out their run plans. It was additionally famous that the crew’s Sporting Director, [Ron] Meadows, was not current on the occasion and that usually he can be concerned within the launch course of.
“The FIA Single Seater Sporting Director acknowledged that such a transfer might be a sporting benefit in that it might allow a crew to carry out its run plan whereas different groups might not have the ability to. The Stewards agree with this view significantly the place there are just a few minutes remaining within the session.”
Russell and Antonelli obtained a grid drop relatively than a wonderful to set a precedent and discourage groups from releasing automobiles into the pitlane early sooner or later. “The FIA Sporting Director argued that there wanted to be a sporting penalty relatively than a crew wonderful, in any other case in future groups would launch their automobiles as quickly because the estimated re-start time was revealed. The Stewards agree with this view,” the assertion added.
As a result of the stewards accepted Mercedes made an “unintentional and real mistake” the sporting penalty is only a single grid place drop, with the stewards cautioning that repeats might result in extra extreme penalties.
Pictures from Bahrain GP – Observe & Qualifying
On this article
Filip Cleeren
Method 1
George Russell
Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes
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