Official: Red Bulls Excluded from Qualifying!
Under investigation by the stewards following an issue with the flexibility of the front wing, both Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo were excluded from the qualifying session.
Deemed illegal by the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix stewards, the Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo – 5th and 6th on the grid – have been disqualified from qualifying and will start from the back of the grid.
The problem concerned the excessive flexibility of the front wing of the Milton Keynes single-seaters at high speed.
Red Bull reacted to this decision with a statement published online: « Following the stewards’ decision regarding the front wings on our two cars, we are disappointed to have been disqualified due to a front wing flex test when it is clear that other teams interpret the rules similarly. The team accepts the stewards’ decision and will start from the back of the grid. »
The parts in question will require modification or replacement a priori. The precedent set by the Hamilton case at Hockenheim dictates that, for the change not to be considered a specification change resulting in a start from the pit lane, the replacement part must have the same mass, inertia, and function. Adam Cooper explains on his blog that rival teams were surprised that the replacement of an illegal part with a legal one could meet this criterion.
More information to follow…
