Bahrain GP – Vettel gets penalty for Q1 yellow flag incident

Sebastian Vettel was handed five place grid penalty for disobeying the yellow flags in the first part of qualifying, but that won’t significantly affect his race as he qualified in a disappointing 18th place.

Vettel struggled with Aston Martin’s AMR21 car all weekend and was not as fast as his teammate Stroll, and in the last minutes of Q1 Vettel first had to slow down in the first corner in which Mazepin spun after which he encountered another yellow flag in the turn eight where Sainz stopped on the track in his Ferrari.

FIA judges summoned Vettel after qualifying for potential non-compliance with double yellow flags in the first corner in Q1, and today they decided to punish Vettel with five places grid penalty which means he will start last.

“The No. 9 car [Mazepin] spun in the first corner in the last moments of Q1 and caused double yellow flags. Bottas, Vettel, Perez and Russell approached the scene and passed Mazepin, and Bottas was immediately told by the team to discard the current lap,” the statement said. judges.

“Perez and Russell had received the checked flag, and were instructed to slow, with Russell receiving the additional information that it had been a double yellow sector.”

“Vettel did not abandon his lap. He explained to the Stewards that he saw the smoke ahead of him, but was unsure if it was a lock-up or a stopped car until he was quite close to the car and the smoke was lifting.”

“The Stewards observed that he had already passed the signal panel when it illuminated as he approached the scene, and that the marshals in that turn had not yet reacted with a yellow flag.”

REVISED STARTING GRID