Ferrari: stewards make decision on Carlos Sainz after investigation for safety release – Qatar GP
11/30/2024 03:56 PM
Carlos Sainz was not penalized following qualifying for the Qatar GP, with Ferrari only incurring a €5,000 fine for an unsafe release. In the end, the Maranello team faced no grid penalties, just the fine.
Here is the FIA statement clarifying the matter:
“The Stewards heard from the driver of Car 55 (Carlos Sainz), the driver of Car 44 (Lewis Hamilton), team representatives, and reviewed external and in-car video evidence. Sainz admitted that the No. 1 mechanic responsible for releasing Car 55 signaled that the car was being released before the driver was ready. This caused a slight delay, resulting in the car entering the path of Hamilton, who had to take evasive action. This constitutes a breach of Article 34.14, and consistent with similar cases this year, the above penalty has been applied.”
However, this was not the only investigation involving the Ferrari driver, who was also scrutinized for a separate incident involving Charles Leclerc and George Russell.
The FIA stewards’ decision
The FIA stewards decided not to take further action against Charles Leclerc, George Russell, and Carlos Sainz for the alleged failure to comply with the delta time during Q2 of the Qatar GP. The case was reviewed following a directive from the race director, but no significant infractions were found.
What happened in Q2
The investigation was launched due to an alleged violation of instructions regarding the maximum delta time. According to the regulations, drivers must adhere to a minimum time to avoid excessive slowing, which could compromise track safety.
After carefully analyzing the data and circumstances, the stewards concluded that no further action was necessary. The official statement reads: “No further action – failing to follow race directors' instructions – maximum delta time.”
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