The start of today’s São Paulo Grand Prix was marred with several incidents before the lights even went out. Because Lance Stroll spun and beached his car in the turn 4 gravel during the formation lap, the initial start was aborted. However, several drivers including Lando Norris, George Russell and both RB drivers did set off for an additional formation lap, whereas the correct procedure would have been to shut off the car.
In the ensuing preparations for the new start Mercedes lowered the tyre pressures, but did so in a manner that breached article 30.5 a) of the Sporting Regulations and contradicted Technical Directive 003N, 2. c) and 2. h).
Article 30.5 a) of the Sporting Regulations says that “all tyres must be operated in accordance with the prescriptions issued prior to each Competition by the FIA and the appointed tyre supplier, including any additional or modified procedures set out in the Appendix to these Sporting Regulations or as communicated directly by the FIA and the appointed tyre supplier.”
The prescriptions mentioned are in this case the (non-public) technical directive which states that tyre pressures cannot be adjusted without obtaining the tyre temperatures in presence of a FIA Representative.
The stewards decided that the unusual time schedule and pre-race preparations were mitigating factors in Mercedes pre-race preparations, which means the team is fined € 10.000,-, instead of receiving a sporting penalty (e.g. time penalty or disqualificition).
A similar infringement on Charles Leclerc’s car in Singapore was fined as well, with the mitigating circumstance that the infringement took place during Free Practice.
The aforementioned drivers that drove away at the abandoned start were also investigated, and both Norris and Russell were each fined € 5.000,- personally and received a reprimand, as the stewards found that they “precipitated the action of the drivers on the grid directly behind” them. This meant Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda were off the hook, as they ‘only’ reacted to the drivers in front of them.
Following his crash, Carlos Sainz was reprimanded for trying to move his car when the marshalls were already trying to recover it, causing a “potentially dangerous situation”. The Spaniard had already removed his steering wheel, but placed it back after the team said over the radio the car might be able to return to the pits. The marshalls had already started the recovery procedure by then.
