F1 Driver Handed Penalty Hours Before Italian Grand Prix as Statement Issued
The grid has changed after the FIA were alerted to an unusual breach during qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.
F1 returns to the home of Ferrari this weekend, with the Italian Grand Prix starting at 2pm on Sunday (7th September).
Ferrari endured a disappointing round of qualifying, with Charles Leclerc starting in fourth and Lewis Hamilton down in 10th, the latter having been handed a five-place grid drop after failing to slow down under yellow flag conditions in the Dutch Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen will start on pole with McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri beginning the Monza race in second and third, respectively.
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Alpine driver Gasly, meanwhile, finished 19th in qualifying after a sub-par showing, with teammate Franco Colapinto performing slightly better, starting in 17th today.
What rule did Alpine breach?
However, the FIA were alerted to an unusual breach after qualifying, with Jo Bauer, the Formula 1 technical delegate, noting that Alpine failed to cover Gasly’s car two after Q3 at Monza.
“The BWT Alpine Formula One Team did not cover car number 10 two hours after the chequered of the third qualifying session,” Bauer wrote as quoted by PlanetF1.com.
“As this is not in compliance with Article 40.6 of the 2025 Formula One Sporting Regulations, I am referring this matter to the Stewards for their consideration.”
As per FIA guidelines, cars need to be covered within two hours of qualifying in order to signify that work is completed on the car and not in breach of parc fermé rules before the FIA seal the cover in place.
Alpine accepted the penalty from the FIA, confirming that Gasly will start the Monza Grand Prix in the pit lane, though also took the chance to fit his car with a new power unit.
“Pierre will start today’s Italian Grand Prix from the Pit Lane after the team took his car out from parc fermé conditions,” Alpine said in a statement to PlanetF1.com.
Gasly also admitted that Monza would prove a tricky race for Alpine, with their power pack widely considered to be one of the weakest on the grid.
Gasly admits Monza qualifying would be "tricky"
“To be fair, I think it was still a good effort,” Gasly said after qualifying.
“Looking at yesterday, we were really struggling and we closed the gap to the guys ahead.
“I tried with three sets [of tyres] in Q1. Just a bit of a shame on my last attempt, I didn’t have the cleanest run.
“I had some guys in Turn 7, all the traffic in Turns 8, 9, 10, so it wasn’t the cleanest attempt.
“But looking at the gap anyway to Q2, it would have not been enough, so I think that’s just just where we are.
“I’m not gonna lie: waking up this morning, I knew that was it was going to be a tricky one anyways.”
Gasly and Alpine and enduring a tough 2025 season, with the Frenchman currently 14th on the drivers’ standings with just 20 points to his name, while Alpine are dead last in the constructors’ championship.
Ben McAleer