RICCIARDO DISQUALIFED

Daniel Ricciardo disqualified from qualifying – Photo: LAT

F1 ace Daniel Ricciardo has been disqualified from qualifying from the Singapore Grand Prix. The Aussie had qualified his Renault in a solid eighth place, but the stewards later deleted his lap time because his car had breached the technical regulations.

By DAN KNUTSON

Ricciardo could have been excluded from the race weekend altogether but, given his competitive lap times during practice, the stewards ruled that he can start at the back of the grid. Given how difficult it is to overtake around the wall-lined Singapore street circuit. Ricciardo will bd mired in traffic during the race.

Earlier in the evening, before the infraction was discovered, Ricciardo had been really pumped up after setting the eighth best lap time on a high downforce circuit where Renault was expected to struggle.

“The race is exciting, normally not for overtaking, but it is exciting to see who survives two hours without passing out or getting to much sweat into their eyes,” Ricciardo said when he talked to AUTO ACTION and other F1 news media outlets after qualifying. “The challenge is exciting, but grid position is so key.

“I’m glad that I could put it together today. I had not yet put it together up to qualy, but it was important to get it done then. For the race it is more the physical challenge that is exciting.”

But now he moves from eighth to 20th on the grid.

As for the rule’s infraction, the stewards ruled that his car had exceeded the MGU-K power limit during Qualifying 1.

“It was established in the hearing, beyond any doubt in the opinion of the Stewards, that the competitor exceeded the MGU-K power flow limit permitted,” the stewards said in a statement about their ruling.

“The method by which this limit is regulated is well known and understood by the teams,” the statement added. “Neither the fact that the car had exceeded the limit nor the methodology by which it is policed was disputed by the team.

“The team’s defence rested on two points. First, that the excess was very small and offered no measurable benefit. Second, that the excess occurred during the second-fastest lap during Q1. The team explained to the Stewards how they believe the excess occurred, however the Stewards consider this information to be confidential to the team, and not relevant to this decision.

“Notwithstanding the team’s arguments, the Stewards take note of the very clear wording of Article 1.2.2 ISC, which states that “If an Automobile is found not to comply with the applicable technical regulations, it shall be no defence to claim that no performance advantage was obtained.”

The FIA’s longstanding precedents regarding technical infringements and the penalty has been consistently applied is disqualification, and which does not consider when or if an advantage was gained.

Ricciardo, therefore, was disqualified from qualifying, but he will be allowed to start the race.

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