Ahead of the 2025 Australian Grand Prix, Formula 2 teams face penalties following pre-season testing.
Three teams have been penalised by the FIA. This comes after Dams Lucas Oil, Rodin Motorsport and Trident Motorsport were found to violate the technical regulations.
According to the FIA documents, cars were:
“…found with the following air pressure sensor installation: the Team drilled two holes into the diffusor (part number F22403A005) to convey the airflow beneath it into the pipeline of the pressure sensor.”
This is a breach of Article 10.2 a of the FIA Formula 2 Sporting Regulations. As well as Article 1.5.2, Article 8.4.10 and Article 8.4.11 of the FIA Formula 2 Technical Regulations. Ultimately all three teams have been penalised for these violations.
Trident, Hitech and Dams will face a 10,000 euro fine, on top of a high recommendation to compete in only two days of in-season testing in Bahrain. Additionally, all six drivers will face a 10-place grid drop for both the Sprint and Feature races in Melbourne.
The drivers who are set for a tough weekend include;
- Jak Crawford
- Kush Maini
- Alex Dunne
- Amuary Cordeel
- Sami Megatounif
- Max Esterson
Stewards’ reasoning
According to the stewards, their reasoning behind the harsh penalties was;
“…impossible for the Stewards to know if and how much data was collected.”
Claiming that “This breach has provided the team with data that they could use to gain a competitive advantage that would endure beyond any single competition. Not only for the entire season but possibly for the entire lifetime of the specific chassis.”
Therefore, the stewards had no choice but to award these penalties to the teams.
This is an unideal start to the season for the teams. With qualifying later today, the teams will do their best to qualify the highest they possibly can.
This chaos is just a snapshot of how insane the 2025 Formula 2 season will be.
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Feature Image Credit: Formula Motorsport Limited