Monaco Grand Prix Qualifying Session: Haas Disqualified Due to DRS Clearance Breach
On Saturday, the FIA’s scrutineering team discovered that both Haas cars’ DRS clearance exceeded the maximum allowed opening of 85mm, prompting an immediate referral to the stewards. Following a thorough investigation, the stewards confirmed the penalty, disqualifying both cars from the qualifying session.
Haas’s New Rear Wing Specification Error
Haas had introduced a new rear wing specification for the Monaco Grand Prix, designed to tackle the circuit’s extraordinary downforce demands. In a candid explanation, the team admitted to making an error in setting up the new wing, which required a different configuration to ensure compliance with the rules.
“The team explained that this was the consequence of an inadvertent error on their part in setting the wing flap gap. The wing used was a new design that was used for the first time in Monaco. The old design was set to be compliant with the regulations with the largest gap measured from the centre of the wing. Under the new design, the largest gap was at the extremities of the wing but the team had not trained its mechanics to set the gap per the new design, resulting in the non-compliance.”
international Sporting Code Article 1.3.3
According to the International Sporting Code, Article 1.3.3, any performance advantage gained from non-compliance is irrelevant, and Haas accepted full responsibility for the mistake.
Similar Incident to Lewis Hamilton’s Penalty
This incident bears resemblance to Lewis Hamilton’s penalty at the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix, where he lost pole position for the sprint and was relegated to the last place on the starting grid.
Qualifying Struggles and Stewards’ Inquiry
In qualifying, Kevin Magnussen struggled to 15th place in Q2 after aborting his final flying lap, sparking frustration. Nico Hulkenberg fared slightly better in 12th, but also faced a stewards’ inquiry for impeding Esteban Ocon’s Alpine in Q2. However, the stewards decided not to take further action, citing widespread radio issues across multiple teams and Ocon’s acknowledgment that he wasn’t significantly impeded.
🔗 Source
