F1 News: FIA Makes U-Turn On Red Bull Belgian GP Penalties

Saajan Jogia | Jul 27, 2024

May 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Crewmembers push the car of Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez (11) on the grid before the F1 Sprint Race at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Red Bull drivers Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen, and VCARB (RB) driver Daniel Ricciardo were handed fines on Friday at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps during FP1 for speeding in the pit lane. However, the governing body has revoked the fines for all three drivers for reasons yet to be known.

The Milton Keynes outfit enters the Belgian Grand Prix weekend with considerable optimism, bolstered by Verstappen's recent streak of three consecutive victories at the iconic high-speed circuit. However, the weekend began with a setback as the Dutchman received a 10-place grid penalty for using a new engine.

In addition, both Red Bull drivers were found to have exceeded the stipulated pit lane speed limit of 80 km/h by a mere 0.1 km/h. This exact, but minor infraction directly breaches Article 34.7 of the Formula 1 sporting regulations. Under these guidelines, any violations, regardless of their extent, lead to automatic fines. Thus, the stewards imposed a total penalty of €200 on the team, allocating €100 for each driver's violation of the speed regulations.

Verstappen sped through the pit lane at 14:23, while his teammate Perez did so slightly earlier, at 14:16. Ricciardo, who committed the infraction twice, exceeded the speed limit by 0.1 km/h at 14:10 and again at 14:20. Notably, the FIA did not disclose the reason for the withdrawal of the fines imposed on the Red Bull drivers and Ricciardo.

Red Bull and its junior team were fortunate with the speeding fines, but VCARB driver Yuki Tsunoda faced a similar setback as Verstappen, due to a new engine installation. Consequently, Tsunoda will also start from the back of the grid, providing his teammate Ricciardo with an opportunity to outperform him.

The Belgian Grand Prix weekend is a pivotal event for Red Bull, who lead McLaren by a narrow margin of 51 points in the Constructors' Championship. Verstappen's grid penalty, combined with the impressive pace of McLaren's MCL38, could present the Papaya team with an opportunity to close the gap, despite Verstappen's remarkable track record at Spa.