Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz faced disqualification from the Singapore Grand Prix Qualifying due to technical breaches regarding their Williams racing cars. Both drivers had ranked 12th and 13th in the qualifying session at Marina Bay Street Circuit on Saturday night, but their results were disqualified after failing post-qualifying inspections.
Technical Breaches Identified
The disqualification stemmed from issues with the rear wing of both cars. According to the FIA F1 Technical Delegate Jo Bauer, the uppermost adjustable positions of the rear wings on car numbers 23 (Albon) and 55 (Sainz) exceeded the maximum allowed limit of 85mm.
- Article Violated: 3.10.10 g. of the Technical Regulations
- Minimum Gap Requirement: Between 9.4mm and 85mm when DRS deployed
Details of the Breach
During inspections, the rear wings were found to be non-compliant with these regulations. Although Williams Racing had conducted prior measurements that indicated compliance, the FIA officials later found discrepancies in the dimensions.
At the hearing, the team acknowledged that their own measurements did not align with those of the FIA. The competitors did not contest the methodology or accuracy of the measuring equipment used.
Reaction from Williams Team Principal
Following the disqualification announcement, Williams Team Principal James Vowles expressed disappointment. He noted that the issues arose during the FIA’s scrutineering process after qualifying.
- Vowles’ Statement: “This is bitterly disappointing for the team.”
- Investigation Launched: The team is actively looking into how the breaches occurred.
- Commitment: Vowles emphasized they were not seeking any performance advantage.
He concluded by asserting the team’s ability to potentially score points in the race, despite starting from the back of the grid due to these technical infringements. This incident marked another disqualification in recent events, following Esteban Ocon’s disqualification in Azerbaijan, where similar rear wing issues were detected.
