Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel will start the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix from sixth after being issued a three-place grid penalty for illegally blocking Renault’s Carlos Sainz Jr during qualifying.
Vettel had qualified third behind the Mercedes pair of polesitter Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton.
After his first run in Q2, Vettel slowed down entering Turn 1 and stayed on the racing line through the exit. He failed to notice in his mirrors that Sainz was approaching on a hot lap.
On the exit of the corner, Sainz was forced onto the run-off area in avoidance of the Ferrari. Vettel did not receive a radio message from his team alerting him to the fast-approaching Renault.
The stewards verdict read; “it is the belief of the stewards that notwithstanding the absence of a radio call, the driver of car 5 [Vettel], being aware of the issue of rear vision in his mirrors, should not have been so slow on the racing line, during a slowdown lap in Qualification.”
Vettel will now start from sixth place with team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Haas’s Romain Grosjean all being promoted one position from their qualifying results.
“It’s impossible to see, I wasn’t told anything, normally I get told very well,” Vettel said when speaking to Sky Sports prior to the stewards verdict. “I can only apologise and fortunately it didn’t make a difference for him.”
Despite the block, Sainz did progress through Q2 with a subsequent lap. He qualified in ninth place.
Sainz did not apportion full blame on Vettel for the incident which also resulted in front wing damage following his trip over the Turn 1 exit kerb.
“It’s not always the fault of the driver if you are not told,” Sainz told Sky Sports. “But it cost me a front wing.”
