FIA clarify Charles Leclerc’s ‘loophole’ penalty decision

FIA clarify Charles Leclerc’s ‘loophole’ penalty decision

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc

Tomorrow’s Belgian Grand Prix will feature a rather jumbled-up grid. Multiple drivers – Esteban Ocon (P17), Lando Norris (P18), Mick Schumacher (P20), Valtteri Bottas (P14), Zhou Guanyu (P19), Charles Leclerc (P15), and Max Verstappen (P14), all have engine component penalties, with either back-of-the-grid starts or 15-place penalties.

Max Verstappen will start P15, while Charles Leclerc will start P16. Verstappen had been the quickest man in qualifying quite comfortably, with some six-tenths to Carlos Sainz, and this pace must be worrying for Ferrari. The two teams will be competing in almost two different races – Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez on the front row, while Leclerc and Verstappen will be looking to climb their way.

With so many drivers taking penalties, there is always some confusion about who will start where. In simple terms, Valtteri Bottas will start P14 despite qualifying 20th because he doesn’t have a back-of-the-grid penalty, while the others do, and so their qualifying positions will be the deciding factor. In such a situation, the FIA has chosen to clarify how the penalties work, especially as there was apparently a ‘loophole’ within, which Ferrari tried to take advantage of.

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Also Read: Charles Leclerc to start ahead of Max Verstappen at the Belgian GP due to a loophole in the F1 rulebook

FIA: “Anything over the 15 grid place limit triggers the back of the grid penalty”

Charles Leclerc(on the left) and Max Verstappen(on the right)
Title protagonists Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen will start P16 and P15 respectively

There is a 15-place grid penalty limit before a driver is simply given a ‘back-of-the-grid penalty’. But Ferrari tried to take advantage of a loophole, by taking Leclerc’s penalties in two hauls, with each being a 15-place grid penalty. However, this will not stand, and Leclerc, like others, has basically been given a back-of-the-grid penalty.

As reported by Motorsport, the FIA said: “The wording of the sentence is singular ‘a penalty’ and neither document imposed more than 15 grid places. So it could be interpreted that this does not trigger a ‘back of grid’ penalty.” this, in theory, should allow Leclerc to take fresh components but not receive a back of the grid penalty, and so start ahead of the others, which included Max Verstappen.

But the regulations also state that the power unit penalties will be cumulative. So regardless if it was taken as one or two penalties, it will be treated as one: “So logically regardless of how many documents the penalties are published in, all decisions accumulate over the competition, and anything over the 15 grid place limit triggers the back of the grid penalty.”

The FIA also clarified that the ‘back-of-the-grid’ penalty is a part of Article 28 (concerning to Power Unit usage) and as such, it should be read holistically as part of Article 28.3, adding that it was introduced specifically in response to nonsensically numerically high grid penalties. They also stated that this explanation and decision will be treated as a precedent.

Also Read: Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen among others to start the Belgian Grand Prix from the back of the grid

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