China F1: FIA’s gross negligence: qualifying results will suffer after flagrant non-compliance

Carlos Sainz caused a red flag during qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix on Saturday after a dangerous time on the straight. He was able to continue his journey and advance to Q3, but that doesn’t seem to have gone quite according to the rules. Aston Martin has registered an official protest.

On Saturday morning we started qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix at 9:00am Dutch time and there was plenty to do during the three sessions at the Shanghai International Circuit. One of those moments came courtesy of Sainz during Q2. The Ferrari driver lost control of his red car on the straight and hit the wall, losing his front wing and causing a red flag situation. He was then able to drive back to pit lane with a new front wing and took part in the session again.

A clear rule has not been followed

He managed to advance to Q3 and eventually set the fifth fastest time. However, Aston Martin has found that the Madrid driver should not have been allowed to take part in the remainder of qualifying in first place. Mike Krack’s formulation asserts a violation of Section 39.6 of the Rules of Sports and indeed they seem to be correct: “Any driver who stops his car on the circuit during the qualifying session or the shoot-outs is not allowed to participate in the rest of the session,” the article reads. It is quite clear that it happened in this case, which is why we now seem to be faced with a problem in terms of results. At 6:00 p.m. local time, the administrators will discuss the case, but it seems clear that there has been a major flaw in the observance of the rules and the results of the playoffs seem to be in danger of being lost. It is not surprising that Aston Martin comes with a protest: Lance Stroll finished eleventh during Q2 and therefore missed his place in Q3 and the best qualification.

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