Mark Webber and Jules Bianchi escape a penalty in Melbourne
The Australian and the Frenchman both escaped penalties after the first practice sessions of the Melbourne Grand Prix. The former benefited from the stewards' leniency after attempting an illegal maneuver to improve the grip of his pit box, while the latter made a somewhat cavalier entry into the pit lane.
As he aims for his first podium on home soil, and possibly the top step, Mark Webber escaped a penalty that could have affected the smooth continuation of his weekend. Indeed, at the very end of the first free practice session of the Australian Grand Prix, the Queanbeyan native started from his pit spot to lay down some rubber before stopping a few meters further and being guided by his mechanics back into the garages, a procedure formally prohibited by the sporting regulations.
Indeed, according to article 23.8 of the said regulation, « except for drying operations, sweeping, or when rubber is deposited as the cars leave their pit area, competitors are not allowed to attempt to improve grip in the pit lane unless a problem has clearly been identified and a solution has been approved by the FIA safety delegate. »
After being invited to explain himself with his team to the panel of stewards, the Red Bull driver received a simple reprimand: « The team explained that as soon as the mistake was identified, they asked the driver to go on track without making any changes to the car. As the maneuvers were conducted safely, the stewards accepted these mitigating circumstances. »
The commissioners, among whom sits Danny Sullivan, former Formula 1 driver and CART champion, also decided not to penalize Jules Bianchi who, at the very end of the first free practice session, had entered the pit lane by bypassing the marker delimiting the pit lane entry from the outside.
Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Gutiérrez were fined for speeding in the pit lane. While the Sauber driver will have to pay €800 for exceeding the speed limit by 3.4 km/h—limited to 60 km/h during free practice—his Williams counterpart will have to pay a €2,800 fine for being caught at 73.8 km/h.
