Rookie driver Robert Shwartzman received an ‘impossible’ grid penalty after his trial laps for the Sauber team. The Russian-Israeli driver took the wheel during the first free practice for the Mexican GP in Guanyu Zhou’s car. The session was plagued by interruptions, during which Shwartzman received a grid penalty for overtaking under a yellow flag. However, it remains to be seen whether he will ever be able to serve this penalty.
According to Formula 1 regulations, all teams must forfeit at least one training session by allowing a rookie to drive. This means that each team annually allows a young talent to step in twice during the first free practice. In Mexico, no less than five teams had to comply; Andrea Kimi Antonelli stepped in for Mercedes, Felipe Drugovich for Aston Martin, Pato O’Ward for McLaren, Oliver Bearman for Ferrari, and Robert Shwartzman for Sauber.”The latter achieved success in the Formula 2 Championship, but never advanced to the premier class. Today, he competes in the World Endurance Championship. During his rare appearance in Formula 1, Shwartzman made a costly mistake; the 25-year-old driver overtook Yuki Tsunoda under double yellow flags.
Jenson Button’s Similar Experience
The stewards subsequently imposed an appropriate penalty on Shwartzman. “He (Shwartzman) receives the usual penalty for overtaking under double yellow flags,” reads an official statement. At his next Formula 1 race, the Russian-Israeli driver will receive a grid penalty of five places. “Although the stewards acknowledge that he has no race scheduled, they must be consistent.”
This is not the first time such a situation has occurred in Formula 1. Shwartzman can even shake hands with former world champion Jenson Button. The Brit received a grid penalty during the Monaco GP in 2017, when he stepped in for Fernando Alonso. Since it was a one-off appearance, Button never had to serve the penalty.”
