The Formula 2 Championship in Melbourne has been rocked by a wave of grid penalties hitting six drivers. This dramatic action comes as the FIA discovered that they had advantages from testing regulation violations in Barcelona. Among the penalized are Alpine’s Kush Maini, Aston Martin’s Jak Crawford, and McLaren’s Alex Dunne.
As the 2025 F1 season kicks off in Melbourne, the rising stars of Formula 2 are also present, eager to mark the start of their campaigns. However, their excitement is now marred by penalties leading to a grid reshuffle. Each of the six drivers will carry a staggering 10-place grid drop into both sprint and feature races, amassing a total of 120 grid penalties.
The FIA stewards’ decision stems from the discovery of an illicit sensor fitted by three teams to monitor airflow during the three-day pre-season test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. DAMS’ Kush Maini and Jak Crawford, Rodin’s Alex Dunne and Amaury Cordeel, and Trident’s Sami Meguetounif and Max Esterson are the unfortunate ones to bear the brunt of this decision.
As per the stewards, the Formula 2 Championship operates on a single chassis and single engine principle, where aerodynamic data is offered to all teams by the chassis manufacturer. The technical regulations strictly restrict how the external airflow may be measured. Additionally, part modifications are only permitted as per regulations, user manuals, or a technical bulletin. The fitting of a sensor, encompassing the tube to transmit air pressure and the sensor, is strictly forbidden.
The stewards further elaborated that the data collected from the external airflow pressure sensors could be used to gather more information on the car’s aerodynamic performance in different track conditions. Teams had previously sought permission for such practices from the Technical Delegate, but it had been consistently denied.
The stewards were alerted to this violation at the end of the second testing day. However, they couldn’t determine the extent of data collected by the teams. They expressed concerns that the data breach could give these teams an enduring competitive advantage, not just for the ongoing season but potentially for the lifespan of the specific chassis.
Although the drivers escaped penalty points, the FIA imposed a fine of €10,000 each on DAMS, Rodin, and Trident. They also proposed a ban on each team from one day of an upcoming F2 test before the second round in Bahrain. The stewards also suggested that the technical delegate encourage other teams to apply for permission to use similar sensors in the Bahrain test.
