Carlos Sainz Jnr will start the Chinese Grand Prix from seventh on the grid after the stewards dismissed a protest lodged by Aston Martin.
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The team argued Sainz should not have been allowed to continue in the session after he stopped his car during Q2. The incident brought out a red flag and race control recorded that his car had come to rest, a fact Aston Martin cited in their protest.
After remaining at the trackside for about 77 seconds, Sainz was able to move his car and return to the pits. He continued in qualifying, reached Q3 and secured seventh on the grid. By progressing to Q3 he prevented Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll from advancing; Stroll was eliminated in 11th place.
Aston Martin based its protest on article 39.6 of the Sporting Regulations, which states: “Any driver whose car stops on the track during the qualifying session or the sprint qualifying will not be permitted to take any further part in that session.”
Representatives from Aston Martin and Ferrari attended a hearing with the stewards and race control. FIA single seater director Nikolas Tombazis requested to be present and was listed as attending but did not take part in the discussion. The stewards also noted that other team managers were present at the hearing, without specifying which teams they represented.
Aston Martin argued the rule was clear and Sainz should have been barred from continuing. Ferrari countered that past practice showed race control has previously allowed drivers to restart after stopping, and that Sainz should therefore have been permitted to continue.
The stewards sided with Ferrari’s interpretation. They said that, given the many previous examples where cars stopped for varying lengths of time and were allowed to restart, race control’s decision was consistent with past practice and did not breach article 39.6.
“We considered that even if the plain wording of article 39.6 warranted a more stark conclusion, the consistent practice in the sport to date did not warrant a setting aside of the discretion exercised by race control by us as stewards,” they added.
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