FIA confirms grid will remain the same after multiple investigations
The FIA Stewards have decided not to act on a regulation that could have sent Daniel Ricciardo, Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg and Valtteri Bottas toward the back of the Hungarian GP grid, and all five now retain their original positions.
Nico Rosberg was also called to the stewards’ office when it was determined that he may have not slowed down sufficiently for double waved yellows during his pole run, but the stewards took no further action.
The issue was a regulation that refers to Q1 and the failure to set a time within 107 percent of the fastest lap.
The regulation says: “During Q1, any driver whose best qualifying lap exceeds 107% of the fastest time set during that session, or who fails to set a time, will not be allowed to take part in the race. Under exceptional circumstances however, which may include setting a suitable lap time in a free practice session, the stewards may permit the car to start the race.
“Any driver accepted in this manner will be placed at the back of the starting grid after any other penalties have been applied.
“Should there be more than one driver accepted in this manner they will be arranged on the grid in the order they were classified in P3.”
This was obviously designed to deal with inherently slow cars, but the problem on Saturday was that in the difficult conditions of Q1 no fewer than 11 drivers failed to pass the 107 percent mark. Five of which progressed to the next stage of qualifying, and it is those five who were in question.
It’s understood that the stewards initially accepted the literal interpretation of the above rule and were prepared to move the five cars down the order. However, the teams concerned met with them and offered an alternative interpretation. Their view was that the full qualifying rules have to be read as a complete entity.
For example, a later rule says: “The top ten positions will be occupied by the cars which took part in Q3, the fastest from the position on the grid which was the pole position in the previous year.”
Common sense prevailed, and due to the “exceptional circumstances,” the final grid will have the aforementioned cars in their original places, to the frustration of teams like Ferrari, who would have benefited.
Meanwhile, the bottom six from Q1, i.e. those who did not make it through to Q2 and were all outside the 107 percent rule, will start in the order from the FP3 session. By total coincidence that is exactly the same as the Q1 order.
However, Marcus Ericsson may start from pit road if he is forced to take a new chassis after his heavy crash in qualifying.
Unofficial starting grid:
