Formula 1 News: Alex Albon Disqualified from Dutch Grand Prix Qualifying Due to Non-Compliant Floor
In a shocking turn of events, Alex Albon has been disqualified from the Dutch Grand Prix qualifying results after his Williams’ floor was deemed non-compliant with the FIA’s technical regulations. The Anglo-Thai driver had an impressive Saturday afternoon, securing eighth place in qualifying, ahead of Lance Stroll and Pierre Gasly in Q3.
However, during the post-session scrutineering, the FIA discovered that the Williams’ floor exceeded the maximum bounding box permitted by the regulations, prompting a report to the stewards. According to Autosport, the floor was found to be too wide, measuring beyond the 1600mm width limit prescribed in the regulations.
“The floor body of Car 23 was found to lie outside the regulatory volume mentioned in Article 3.5.1 a) of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations. The team did not dispute the calibration of the FIA measuring system and the measurement of the car, but stated that their own measurements have produced different results.”
Williams contended that their own measuring devices showed the floor to be within the limits, but the FIA’s scan produced different results. The floor was one of the several upgraded parts introduced by Williams at the Dutch Grand Prix, including new sidepods and engine cover bodywork, aimed at improving their Formula 1 standings.
As a result, Albon will start from the back of the grid in Sunday’s race, with all drivers behind him moving up one position. Lance Stroll will start from eighth, followed by Pierre Gasly in ninth, and Carlos Sainz in tenth.
Williams expressed their disappointment with the outcome, stating, “We are incredibly disappointed with this outcome and will be carrying out a thorough investigation and will provide an update soon.”
In another development, Williams requested permission for Logan Sargeant to start the race, following his heavy impact in FP3, which prevented him from participating in qualifying. The stewards granted the request, considering Sargeant’s times in the earlier practice sessions satisfactory, as per Article 39.4 in the F1 sporting regulations.
Stay tuned for more Formula 1 news, including updates on the Formula 1 calendar, Formula 1 qualifying, and Formula 1 standings.
🔗 Source