• Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • Lionel Messi
    • Cristiano Ronaldo
    • EA FC 25
    • Wrexham
  • Boxing
    • Tyson Fury
    • Anthony Joshua
    • Oleksandr Usyk
    • Mike Tyson
    • Jake Paul
    • Logan Paul
  • UFC
    • Dana White
    • Conor McGregor
    • Khabib Nurmagomedov
    • Jon Jones
    • Paddy Pimblett
    • Joe Rogan
  • Other Sport
    • Athletics
    • Formula 1
    • MMA
    • Motorsport
    • NBA
    • Darts
    • NFL
    • Snooker
    • Wrestling
    • Tennis
    • Cricket
    • Golf
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Why Alex Albon can still race in Dutch GP despite being disqualified from qualifying over illegal car part

Home> F1

Published 09:43 25 Aug 2024 GMT+1

Why Alex Albon can still race in Dutch GP despite being disqualified from qualifying over illegal car part

Albon can still line up on the grid at Zandvoort.

Ryan Smart

Ryan Smart

Alex Albon will start the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort from the back of the grid after his Williams car was found to have an illegal part in qualifying. But why is he still able to race?

The Thai driver qualified an impressive eighth on Saturday, securing Williams' best qualifying result of 2024.

The Grove-based team brought a series of upgrades to Zandvoort, with one of those being a significant change to the car's floor.

Advert

However, the FIA found an issue with the measurements of the new part after the FIA's Technical Delegate Jo Bauer examined it during qualifying.

The error, Williams claimed, was down to their measurement system - which measured the floor to be within legal volumes - being different from the system that the FIA use.

Albon and his team were summoned to the stewards, before officially being disqualified. He will now start from the back of the grid.

An FIA statement read: "The floor body of Car 23 [Albon] was found to lie outside the regulatory volume mentioned in Article 3.5.1 a) of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations.

Advert

"The team did not dispute the calibration of the FIA measuring system and the measurement of the car, but stated that their own measurements have produced different results."

It continued: "The Stewards determine that the result of the measurement conducted with the FIA system in Parc Ferme is the relevant one and the due process prescribed by the regulations has been followed. Therefore the standard penalty for such an infringement is applied."

Williams driver Alex Albon was disqualified from Dutch GP qualifying -
Getty

Albon's discretion now technically means he falls within the 107 per cent rule, in which drivers must set a lap time that falls within 107 per cent of the fastest lap time in Q1.

Advert

As Albon has been disqualified from qualifying entirely, he hasn't therefore registered a lap time - despite getting into Q3 - and therefore is outside of the 107 per cent rule by default.

The reason he has not been disqualified from racing is because the rule is at the stewards' discretion. Generally, if a driver shows 'satisfactory times' in practice, they will be allowed to race.

Williams therefore made a request to the FIA to allow Albon to race, which was granted.

FIA

Advert

The rule was brought in for the 1996 F1 season, due to the fact that all 26 entries were able to qualify for races, regardless of speed.

In the past, entries were limited to 26 but there were substantially more cars attempting to qualify, meaning those who were too slow simply didn't make it into Grands Prix.

In 2010, the rule was brought back in for the 2011 season, with the struggling HRT team breaking it on four occasions in 2011 and 2012 and being banned from the race.

Since 2012, though, no driver who has fallen foul of the 107 per cent has been barred from the race.

Featured Image Credit: Getty / Sky Sports

Topics: Formula 1

Ryan Smart
Ryan Smart

Live in constant hope of the top flight as a Preston North End fan. Written in the past for SPORF, GiveMeSport and more.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

5 hours ago
6 hours ago
7 hours ago
  • 5 hours ago

    Lando Norris suffers facial injury as things turn ugly following British Grand Prix celebrations with fans

    Lando Norris was the winner of the Formula One British Grand Prix on home soil but suffered a freak injury afterwards.

    F1
  • 6 hours ago

    Nico Hulkenberg 'breaks F1 cooldown room protocol' after first-ever podium finish as Lando Norris forced to step in

    British Grand Prix winner Lando Norris delivered a touching gesture after Nico Hulkenberg claimed his first podium finish.

    F1
  • 7 hours ago

    Sky Sports forced to apologise after what Lando Norris said during interview following first-ever British Grand Prix win

    Lando Norris dropped an F-bomb during his post-race interview with Sky Sports.

    F1
  • 7 hours ago

    Nico Hulkenberg gets emotional over team radio as he claims his first ever podium finish after 239 races

    Nico Hulkenberg was named the driver of the day after an incredible performance saw him finally secure a podium finish.

    F1
  • Austrian GP race RED-FLAGGED after horror crash as car left upside down on circuit
  • F1 driver disqualified from Dutch Grand Prix over 'illegal' car
  • Fans want Lewis Hamilton to leave Ferrari after hearing team radio exchange during Silverstone GP qualifying
  • Red Bull to make shock driver change for British GP as public apology issued after disastrous Austrian race