Aston Martin Protest leads to Drastic Changes to the Austrian GP Race Results
The Austrian Grand Prix was an intense race, with drivers constantly pushing the limits. But it seems they pushed a bit too far leading to a protest from the Aston Martin team. The FIA has handed out penalties to eight drivers after examining over 1,200 instances of potential track limits breaches.
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Track limits became a major topic throughout the race weekend, and it resulted in a whopping seven drivers receiving time penalties during the race itself. To make matters worse, eight more drivers faced post-race punishments.
The FIA meticulously reviewed the race, deleting a staggering 83 lap times and thoroughly investigating over 1,200 potential track limit violations. As a consequence, a significant portion of the grid has now seen additional time added to their race results.
Drivers penalised for multiple breaches:
- Carlos Sainz – 10 seconds
- Lewis Hamilton – 10 seconds
- Pierre Gasly – 10 seconds
- Alex Albon – 10 seconds
- Esteban Ocon – 30 seconds (a combination of two 10-second penalties and two 5-second penalties)
- Logan Sargeant – 10 seconds
- Nyck de Vries – 15 seconds (a combination of a 10-second and a 5-second penalty)
- Yuki Tsunoda – 5 seconds
These penalties are in addition to any punishments already served during the Austrian Grand Prix.
So, how have the results changed after the penalties?
The top three on the podium remain unaffected, but things get shaken up below that. Carlos Sainz drops down two places to sixth, allowing Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso to move up into the top five. Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly also slide down the points positions.
It was Aston Martin that lodged the initial protest against the Austrian Grand Prix results. Their protest was upheld, and resulted in the team gaining three more crucial points in the Constructors’ Championship.
Updated finishing order for the Austrian Grand Prix:
- Max Verstappen
- Charles Leclerc
- Sergio Perez
- Lando Norris
- Fernando Alonso
- Carlos Sainz*
- George Russell
- Lewis Hamilton*
- Lance Stroll
- Pierre Gasly*
- Alex Albon*
- Zhou Guanyu
- Logan Sargeant*
- Esteban Ocon*
- Valtteri Bottas
- Oscar Piastri
- Nyck de Vries*
- Kevin Magnussen
- Yuki Tsunoda*
- Nico Hulkenberg – Retired
*Drivers received post-race penalties
To address this issue for future events, the FIA will strongly recommend the addition of a gravel trap at the exit of Turns 9 and 10. Although it may not be a straightforward solution for other racing series that compete here. It has proven to be highly effective in resolving similar issues at other corners and circuits.
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