(Motorsports news) The FIA obliged a driver to start from the pitlane for the second race in a row after mechanics exceeded the limit on how far a car may be built without inspection. Sergio Perez was eliminated in the Losail sprint race as part of a three-car pile-up that also included Esteban Ocon and Nico Hulkenberg, all of whom were cleared by the stewards.
However, because the crashed RB19 was declared beyond repair, Red Bull was compelled to manufacture a replacement chassis, which surpassed the authorized survival cell stage (cockpit and fuel tank) without being supervised by the governing body. Furthermore, the work went on past the two-hour mark after the sprint race, when the FIA requires all vehicles to be covered and ready for seals to be placed.
According to Williams driver Logan Sargeant in Japan, Perez was compelled to start from the pitlane for this. However, Horner believes F1 needs to come up with “a more sensible” answer. Horner remarked: “I think it’s something that team managers need to look at, something a bit more sensible, because now for two weeks with Williams and ourselves, it has been far from ideal.”
Horner went on to say that there was “no way” Red Bull could have built up this third team car while still complying with sporting laws. “No chance,” Horner continued. That would have been difficult with the damage to the crash structure and so on… They performed an outstanding job in turning things around.”
The refurbishment was so extensive that the crew working on teammate Max Verstappen’s vehicle stayed late on a day when their driver was crowned a three-time world champion to assist with the Perez repairs. Unlike Perez, Sargeant received a 10-second penalty prior to the Japanese Grand Prix.
Williams altered the specifications of the items installed in his car compared to what was in place at the time of his collision in Q1. Because he had already qualified for a pitlane start, the stewards decided to penalise the team separately for violations of the survival cell and two-hour restrictions.
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