Sebastian Vettel penalized by five places on the grid

18 + 5 equals last. Sebastian Vettel will be the last to position himself on the starting grid this afternoon. The pilot Aston Martin qualified 18th was in fact penalized by five places by the sports commissioners of the Formula 1 for ignoring a double yellow flag at the first corner at the end of Q1.

This one was caused by Nikita mazepin (Haas) who spun as he began his final flying lap. “Valtteri Bottas, Sebastian Vettel, Sergio Pérez and George Russell approached the stage and overtook Mazepin, details the commissioners' report. Bottas, was immediately instructed by his team to interrupt his turn. Pérez and Russell had passed the checkered flag and were ordered to slow down, with Russell receiving the additional information that it was a double yellow flag. Vettel didn’t give up on his lap.”

The German pilot defended himself. “He explained to the stewards that he had seen smoke in front of him, but did not know whether it was a wheel lock or a stopped car, until he was quite near the car and the smoke clears. »

However, according to the stewards, Vettel was approaching a car which was stopped on its side on the track and knew this would require a double yellow flag. “During the drivers' briefing, the race director stressed that the flag must be rigorously applied,” recalls the report. The rule was introduced to discourage drivers from any type of management of their speed as they approach an incident, perhaps with a view to setting a time, when the requirement is that they must be able to come to a complete stop. in the run-up to such an incident. »

In this precise case, Vettel certainly slowed down slightly as the incident approached, but continued his rapid-fire ride afterward. “The team should have seen that the sector had been placed under double yellow and could have advised the driver as the other teams did,” the report concludes. Vettel is also penalized with three points on his driving licence.

Already unhappy to have been hampered in his last lap like Esteban Ocon and deprived of Q2, Sebastian Vettel drinks the chalice to the dregs.