Two F1 Stars Face Being Disqualified From Season Opener Due to Little-Known Rule
The 2026 Formula 1 campaign will kick off with the Australian Grand Prix next month.
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Topics: Formula 1
Marcus Chan
Topics: Formula 1
Two drivers could reportedly be at risk of being disqualified from the Australian Grand Prix next month due to a little-known Formula 1 rule.
This week, all 11 teams were on track at the Bahrain International Circuit for the first official test ahead of the 2026 season.
Mercedes duo Kimi Antonelli and George Russell were the quickest drivers of the week, setting times of 1:33.669 and 1:33.918, respectively.
They were followed by Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton (1:34.209) and Charles Leclerc (1:34.273).
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Defending world champion Lando Norris was sixth with a best effort of 1:34.669 and Max Verstappen (1:34.798) was seventh.
Meanwhile, McLaren and Williams were the ones who did the most laps during the first week of testing, with their drivers completing a total of 422.
However, down the other end, Aston Martin endured a tough week as they encountered several problems, meaning Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso were only able to amass a combined total of 206 laps.
Speaking this week, Stroll gave a grim assessment of the Silverstone-based team's progress.
He said: "Right now, we look like we're four seconds off the top team, four-and-a-half seconds. Impossible to know what fuel loads and everything people are running. But, yeah, now we need to try and find four seconds of performance."
If Stroll's comments turn out to be true, him and Alonso could be at risk of disqualification at next month's Australian Grand Prix, due to a little-known rule.
According to The Express, the sport's rules state that if a driver who is eliminated in Q1 fails to set a time within 107 per cent of the quickest time in that session, the driver in question will not be allowed to start the race without special permission from the FIA stewards.
The 107 per cent rule was first introduced in 1996 up until 2002. It was then reintroduced in 2011.
During the 2016 Hungarian Grand Prix, 11 drivers broke the 107 per cent rule due to severe weather but were all cleared to race. In 2018, it was noted that the rule had been amended and will not be enforced under wet conditions.
During the 2025 Australian Grand Prix, the quickest lap time in Q1 was 1:15.912, which was set by McLaren's Norris.
107 per cent of the above-mentioned time is 1:21.226, which is 5.134 seconds slower.
As a result, if the Aston Martins are more than four and a half seconds slower than their rivals, Stroll and Alonso could be at risk of falling foul of the 107 per cent rule.
However, it has also been noted that the above scenario is extremely unlikely, with Aston Martin expected to improve as testing resumes next week.