The Chinese Grand Prix 2024 was marked by a series of incidents that prompted decisive actions from the race stewards.
Kevin Magnussen received a 10-second time penalty and two penalty points for a collision with Yuki Tsunoda at Turn 6 on lap 27 as he spun the Japanese driver into retirement with some clumsy driving.
According to the stewards, Magnussen dived into the corner, braked late, and made contact with Car 22, forcing its retirement. The stewards emphasised that Magnussen was predominantly to blame for the incident due to his aggressive manoeuvre and late braking.
Shortly afterwards, Logan Sargeant also faced a penaltie following an incident under Safety Car conditions. He was penalised with a 10-second time penalty and two additional penalty points on his license for overtaking Nico Hülkenberg while the safety car was deployed.
The incident occurred as the German was re-entering the track following a stop and was ahead of Sargeant at the SC2 line. Sargeant overtook and did not return the position, contravening Article 55.8 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations.
Amidst these unfolding events, Lance Stroll’s race was compromised by a similar 10-second time penalty and two penalty points for colliding with Daniel Ricciardo at Turn 14 as he clouted the Australian and sent him into the air.
According to the stewards, Stroll should have anticipated the reduction in speed from the cars ahead during the restart period but failed to adjust his speed, resulting in a collision that forced Ricciardo to retire with a lot of damage.
Adding to the day’s list of incidents, Daniel Ricciardo was handed a notably severe penalty. After overtaking Nico Hülkenberg under safety car conditions, he was initially given a 10-second penalty. However, due to his subsequent retirement from the race, the penalty was converted to a drop of three grid positions for the next race he takes part in.
Ricciardo argued that his manoeuvre was in response to a previous overtake by Hülkenberg under similar conditions, which he mistakenly believed gave him the right to reciprocate.
The Haas driver had passed Ricciardo following his clash with Stroll, with the Australian passing him under the second Safety Car period as Tsunoda’s car had to be cleared.
The stewards dismissed his explanation, emphasizing the importance of adhering strictly to safety car regulations.
All 4 drivers had 2 penalty points added to their licence, joining Fernando Alonso in getting some during the event as he picked up 3 in the Sprint.
