RB have been fined £4,287 (€5,000) after the stewards held them responsible for an unusual but “potentially dangerous” incident.
Haas driver Kevin Magnussen had to take evasive action when he encountered the RB driven by Daniel Ricciardo after the pair took the chequered flag at the end of final practice. Magnussen took to the grass at around 225kph on run from Acque Minerali to Variante Alta as he swerved right to avoid Ricciardo.
The stewards acknowledged this was not a typical case of a driver on a flying lap catching another on an in- or out-lap. “This means it is not classically ‘impeding’ as it did not prevent Magnussen from setting a fast time,” they noted.
“It is also therefore understandable that Ricciardo was driving slowly, preparing for his practice start. It is also fully within the regulations for Magnussen to be driving at speed, even after the chequered flag.”
The stewards also took into account the location of the incident, which took place after the crest of a hill. “There was no chance that Ricciardo was likely to see Magnussen in time, and vice versa,” they said.
“Ricciardo was avoiding his team mate, Tsunoda, who was also manoeuvring to prepare for his practice start. This meant that Ricciardo was near the racing line at the time.”
The situation “was even more unusual”, the stewards noted, as it occurred following a late restart to practice which left some drivers unable to set another lap time.
Given the mitigating circumstances the stewards decided only to fine the team. “The stewards have issued penalties for incidents during free practice sessions previously, although those incidents were all prior to the chequered flag.
“Given the circumstances, it was important for the team to give sufficient warning of a fast car the stewards approaching, which they failed to do until Magnussen was at the scene. This failure caused a potentially dangerous situation.
“The stewards consider that there are a number of mitigating circumstances, and that this situation is highly unusual, but that nevertheless, the teams have a duty of care, even after the chequered flag.
“Therefore, the stewards issue a fine to the team, but in view of the mitigating circumstances, a significantly reduced one from previous cases and no penalty to the driver.”
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
2024 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at RaceFans…