The FIA has updated the sporting regulations, implementing several changes concerning grid penalties during sprint race weekends. Under the previous version of the rules, time penalties issued during the sprint were nullified in the event of a driver’s retirement. This will no longer be the case in the future.
The reason for these changes is the incident between Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz during the sprint race in China. Alonso received a ten-second time penalty for causing a collision with his compatriot from Ferrari. The 43-year-old driver retired from the race after the incident, which resulted in his penalty being dropped. However, under the revised regulations, such a penalty will result in a grid penalty for the subsequent Grand Prix.
Changes in FIA Rules
From now on, the FIA rules state that if a driver is ‘unable to serve the penalty due to a non-classification in the sprint or race session, or due to a dropout in the sprint or race session, the stewards may impose a grid penalty on the driver at his next race’.
Confusion in China
Furthermore, a rule change has been implemented following confusion around Carlos Sainz’s qualification in Shanghai. The 29-year-old Spaniard spun during the Saturday number on the straight and caused a red flag – the other teams assumed that he could not continue to participate in the session. However, Sainz returned to the pitlane under his own power and simply continued with the qualification. Aston Martin later protested, but the stewards sided with Ferrari in this case.
To prevent new confusion, this situation has now been clarified in the regulations. “Any driver whose car stops in an area other than the pitlane during the qualifying session or the sprint qualifying session and receives physical assistance, may not continue to participate in that session.” Because Sainz was able to drive to the pitlane under his own power at the time, he was not punished.