FIA Penalizes Williams for Assembling Third Car
The American badly damaged his car during a high-speed crash in qualifying on Saturday, which has forced a change of chassis.
The FIA discovered, however, that the team had assembled its spare car far more than was normally allowed according to the rules – so it was in effect judged to be a third car.
Williams was summoned to the stewards on Sunday morning and explained that the problem was due to a miscommunication within the team.
As a result, the FIA decided to penalize the team for breaching the regulations. Williams has been fined and will receive a grid penalty for the next race.
Car Damage in Qualifying
The incident occurred during qualifying when the American driver crashed his car at high speed, resulting in significant damage to the chassis. This forced the team to switch to their spare car for the race.
Assembling Third Car
Upon investigation, the FIA found that Williams had gone beyond the allowable limits for assembling a spare car. According to the rules, teams are not permitted to assemble a spare car to a level that would make it essentially a third car.
Williams argued that the breach was unintentional and a result of internal miscommunication within the team. However, the FIA determined that the breach had occurred and needed to be addressed.
FIA Penalty and Consequences
In response to the regulation breach, the FIA has imposed penalties on Williams. The team has been fined an undisclosed amount and will also face a grid penalty for the upcoming race.
This penalty serves as a reminder to all teams to adhere strictly to the rules and regulations set by the FIA. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining clear communication within teams to avoid any inadvertent breaches.
Williams will now have to serve their grid penalty in the next race, which will undoubtedly impact their starting position and strategic choices for the event. The team will need to regroup and ensure such breaches do not happen again in the future.