The final outcome of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix has been altered following a post-race penalty. The stewards determined that Franco Colapinto had breached the regulations surrounding yellow flags.
It was the very same alleged infringement that race winner Lewis Hamilton had been investigated for during the Grand Prix, though it was ultimately concluded that he had reduced his speed sufficiently after Fernando Alonso pulled up with a mechanical issue. This proved to be vital as Hamilton went on to record his first ever GP victory for Ferrari.
However, another driver fell short of that standard and the stewards have stepped in accordingly. A 10-second penalty and a licence point have been handed to Colapinto.
The sanction has had a direct bearing on the final race classification – the Argentine had crossed the line in eighth place but has since been demoted to 10th following the application of his punishment.
The outcome costs Colapinto and his Alpine outfit three championship points. It also represents a timely boost for Racing Bulls, their closest rivals in the battle for supremacy in the midfield constructors’ standings.
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Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, who had finished ninth and 10th on the road respectively, have both moved up a position as a consequence of Colapinto’s penalty. In explaining their ruling, the stewards noted that the Argentine had eased off, but not to a degree they deemed acceptable.
They wrote: “The driver of Car 43 [Colapinto] slightly reduced speed before entering the single yellow flag zone, but did not discernibly reduce speed in the relevant yellow flag sector.
View 3 ImagesFranco Colapinto lost places and points because of a post-race penalty(Image: Getty)
“The stewards acknowledge that the driver reacted to the yellow flag but do not consider the reaction to be sufficient to comply with the regulations. Therefore a penalty on the lower end of the applicable scale of penalties is imposed.”
Kimi Antonelli was also handed a five-second time penalty for exceeding the permitted number of track limits violations. It ultimately proved entirely irrelevant, however, as the championship leader pulled his Mercedes to the side of the circuit with four laps remaining after suffering an engine failure.
Nevertheless, the stewards were obliged to follow due process and confirmed the sanction against the Italian teenager. Addressing what was a somewhat unusual set of circumstances, the stewards stated: “Car 12 [Antonelli] left the track four times during the race without justifiable reason.
View 3 ImagesRace winner Lewis Hamilton was investigated for the same reason but cleared of wrongdoing(Image: Getty)
“The stewards acknowledge that the driver did not receive a black/white flag after his third infringement but rather after his fourth infringement as one earlier infringement was only detected later in the race.
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“However, based on the current regulations and Driving Standards Guidelines, this does not exempt the driver from complying with the regulations. As there might be some ambiguity in the relevant guidelines, the stewards recommend the FIA revisit the current procedures and guidelines as soon as possible.”
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