Charles Leclerc and Lance Stroll cleared after commissioners’inquiry in China
After sprint qualifying, several drivers, including Charles Leclerc and Lance Stroll, were summoned by F1 stewards. These summonses were due to accusations of driving too slowly between the lines of the safety cars.
Charles Leclerc, who had finished in fourth position during the sprint, had to face an investigation after the F1 stewards noticed an excessive gap between the safety lines during his preparation laps. If this situation had been deemed more serious, it could have affected his starting grid position for the sprint race. But after examining the circumstances, the stewards concluded that Leclerc did not impede other drivers and did not gain a sporting advantage.
A statement from the commissioners specifies: « Leclerc and Hamilton both started their preparation laps close to each other. Hamilton was closely following Leclerc, and Leclerc had Stroll in front of him on a preparation lap. Leclerc had to wait for Stroll to start his push lap, and in the meantime, Leclerc was overtaken by Hamilton on team orders. Leclerc always maintained a reasonable speed and eventually sought to create a reasonable gap behind Hamilton. All this was done in an orderly manner, and no car behind Leclerc was affected by this. »
Thus, Leclerc retained his fourth place and is ready to defend his chances during the sprint race, with his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, taking pole position.
Stroll also exonerated
Lance Stroll, who had been noted for similar infractions to those of Leclerc, was also cleared after a separate investigation. The stewards found that he had not impeded other drivers and had not gained any advantage from the situation. The incident concerned the management of time between safety lines, but once again, it was determined that the Canadian’s conduct had not significantly affected the other participants. The Aston Martin driver can therefore continue the weekend on a solid footing.
Hamilton and Verstappen: the battle continues
While the situation of Leclerc and Stroll occupied much of the attention, let’s not forget that the real fight for pole position saw Hamilton set a new lap record at 1:30.849, edging out Verstappen by just 0.018 seconds. The green lights for the sprint race on Saturday will give these drivers and their teams yet another opportunity to shine.
This story highlights how F1 is a sport of precision, where even the slightest mistake can be punished. Safety rules and the instructions given by the race director are essential to ensure a clean and safe race. Despite the incident, the stewards judged that Leclerc and Stroll did not disrupt the balance of the race, allowing both drivers to maintain their positions. However, this situation also underscores the importance of every detail in F1, where the slightest anomaly can lead to significant consequences.
A decisive Saturday looms
With the stewards’ decisions, everything is now ready for the Saturday sprint race. Charles Leclerc, who will start from fourth position, hopes to do well and deliver a strong result for Ferrari. But he will first have to face the giants of F1, like Hamilton, who will start on pole, and Verstappen, who has never been more determined to defend his position.
A Saturday not to be missed on the Shanghai track.
