The Aston Martin Formula 1 team has lodged a complaint about the results of the qualifying session for the Chinese Grand Prix due to a possible violation of F1 sporting rules. The team representatives presented their case to the Chinese GP stewards, which include former Red Bull and Force India driver Vitantonio Liuzzi. The argument revolves around the alleged failure to comply with Article 39.6 of the regulations during the qualifying session. This particular article states that any driver whose car stops on track during qualifying or the fast qualifying session will be disqualified from further participation in that session.
Although the exact details of Aston Martin’s protest have not been disclosed in the FIA summons document, the context suggests it is related to the circumstances surrounding Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz’s return to the session. Sainz had an accident at the final corner during his first fast lap in Q2, causing his car to be shown as stopped on the timing screens with a message indicating the incident. However, as the damage to his car was minimal, Sainz was able to return to the pits after the red flag was deployed and his Ferrari SF-24 was promptly repaired before the session resumed.
Despite the incident, Sainz managed to progress to Q3 and secured a seventh place, trailing behind the Aston Martin led by Fernando Alonso. On the other hand, Lance Stroll, the other Aston Martin driver, narrowly missed out on the opportunity to advance to Q3, finishing just one position below. Therefore, if Aston Martin’s argument prevails, they may argue that Stroll should have advanced instead of Sainz.
The course of action that the stewards can take to correct the situation remains uncertain if Sainz’s participation after the accident is deemed a violation of the regulations. Simply excluding him from the Q2 and Q3 classifications would grant a grid position to Stroll, plus three drivers ahead and four drivers behind him. However, this would not reinstate Stroll in Q3, which he has already lost.
