Fernando Alonso is under investigation following the Hungarian Grand Prix after it was found his car’s DRS had been activated when it was supposed to be disabled.
A post-race inspection of his Ferrari found the DRS had been used on three occasions when he was not within one second of another car.
FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer said in a statement: “After the race DRS activation data from car number three were analysed. It was found that the driver has activated the adjustable bodywork in threeoccasions when he was more than one second behind another car.”
“As this is not in conformity with Article 27.5 (b) of the 2013 Formula One Sporting Regulations I am referring this matter to the stewards for their consideration.”
Update: No penalty for Alonso for DRS misuse
2013 Hungarian Grand Prix
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Image © Ferrari/Ercole Colombo
Joshua Mesh (@joshua-mesh)
28th July 2013, 17:30
Interesting. I didnt know all the cars went through such a post race test.
g (@endel)
28th July 2013, 17:30
How is this possible though? I know they get a beep in their ears when they can use it, but that’s it? That’s the only limitation for a driver? So potentially they could use it for a whole lap?
henri200 (@henri200)
28th July 2013, 17:38
As far as I know, it is controlled by a system provided by FIA. So it shouldn’t be possible to open DRS when not within 1s of the next car. It’s quite weird, but it has happen before – http://i.imgur.com/DYhTHeo.png. I wouldn’t expect a penalty from this, unless Ferrari is found to be manipulating with the system.
Jason (@jason12)
28th July 2013, 18:41
I’m suprized by this as well.
I’ve seen messages like ‘DRS Disabled’, and thought there was some kind of automated control.
PMccarthy_is_a_legend (@pmccarthy_is_a_legend)
28th July 2013, 17:30
How’s that possible if not for a telemetry fault?
JCost (@jcost)
28th July 2013, 18:25
Yes, three times should not be a mistake.
Kneyfield (@kneyfield)
28th July 2013, 17:33
Hold on. Wasn’t the automatic system, which wasn’t working at the beginning of the season, supposed to be activated by now? With that, a driver should only be able to activate his DRS when race control (or their computers calculating the time gap) allows it.
SubSailorFl
28th July 2013, 17:34
What penalize him for their faulty equipment which they had problems with earlier in the year?
Chad (@chaddy)
28th July 2013, 17:34
He’s lucky Grosjean got a 20 second (**) penalty, because if he is found to have made this DRS mistake, I suspect 20 seconds will be the penalty.
Merv (@)
28th July 2013, 17:36
How about 10s per offence? ;-)
Olivier42 (@olivier42)
28th July 2013, 17:34
Great news. They’ve been handing penalties like candy so far, how about one more?
cg22me (@cg22me)
28th July 2013, 17:40
Give give Alonso a 20 second penalty… It’ll do SO, SO much to his race result /sarcasm
Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
28th July 2013, 17:36
Well that’s surely a certain penalty if there wasn’t deemed to be a fault with the system. A 20 second penalty would be irrelevant now though with Grosjean’s 20 second time penalty.
celeste (@celeste)
28th July 2013, 17:53
Three times is a lot of repetition of the same offense. One time is understandable but three in the same race is a lot.
I will said I don´t know everything about the technical part, but the drs didn´t open by himself, Alonso should have pushed the button, even if it shouldn´t have openned because of the detection zone, or I´m wrong?
Proesterchen (@proesterchen)
28th July 2013, 18:20
Frankly, I can’t see how the driver could be culpable for the system not working. No drivers is in a position to judge the distance to the car ahead, so they have to rely on the proper function of the FIA’s system.
Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
28th July 2013, 18:28
@proesterchen I don’t know why everybody is immediately jumping to the conclusion there was a fault with the FIA system: nobody else seems to have had issues with DRS deployment.
celeste (@celeste)
28th July 2013, 18:31
Well someone need to push the button ;)… the button didn´t push himself,…
Patrickl (@patrickl)
28th July 2013, 19:05
Indeed. I don’t get what “faulty system” is being referred to.
I guess a system could be implemented that would stop my car automatically if I try to run a red light or slow it down when I try to speed, not having such a system doesn’t warrant me free form prosecution of these offences though.
Calum (@calum)
28th July 2013, 17:46
I don’t think you can say ALO is at fault here when it appears there is a glitch in the system.
Dave (@)
28th July 2013, 17:50
Watching the BBC highlights – it seems Button’s DRS was also active when he was more than a second behind (about 10 actually). If Alonso gets a penalty, Button should too. Though as others have said, it’s an FIA system, and glitches should not mean driver penalties.
PhilEReid (@philereid)
28th July 2013, 17:52
If I’m not mistaken (which I probably am) Button got his from the lapped car that just pitted?
Dave (@)
28th July 2013, 17:54
Highlights didn’t show that :-P
Mike Dee (@mike-dee)
28th July 2013, 21:00
Yes, they did, a couple of corners before.
Joshua Mesh (@joshua-mesh)
28th July 2013, 17:53
The highlights with Button only showed him using it, they never showed the situation he was in at the activation line. For all we know he could have been behind a car who popped into the pits.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
28th July 2013, 18:19
Note that the way DRS is configured at the Hungaroring means that a driver could cross the detection line within one second of another car, go into the pits, come out nowhere near another car, and be able to use DRS in the zone after turn one.
Sheila (@st91)
28th July 2013, 17:47
It’s weird, I thought I saw various cars opening the DRS in the main staight when no one was ahead but when anybody said anything I assumed they had just overtaken a backmaker or something.
KaIIe (@kaiie)
28th July 2013, 18:18
This usually happened when the car ahead pitted.
celeste (@celeste)
28th July 2013, 17:58
Speaking of, race finished AGES AGO, littel late to be handing penalties, aren´t they?
Dave (@)
28th July 2013, 17:59
Quicker than usual though :-)
Patrickl (@patrickl)
28th July 2013, 19:06
scrutineering is done after the race.
Scalextric (@scalextric)
28th July 2013, 18:03
I thought I saw one car use DRS after turn 1 in the second zone when it had just exited the pits. Unfortunately I’m 3000 miles away from my DVR.
Merv (@)
28th July 2013, 18:06
If he was within the 1s mark on his way into the pits, then DRS would still have been available in DRS zone 2 because they only used 1 detection point for both zones.
Scalextric (@scalextric)
28th July 2013, 18:55
I was wondering about that. But the pit lane entrance avoids the activation point on the main strait so the algorithm for activation is potentially a little more complex in such cases. Could also have been Alonso in his pre-race setting.
Jason (@jason12)
28th July 2013, 18:45
10 place grid penalty for the next race would be fair…..
Chad (@chaddy)
28th July 2013, 19:16
That’s wishful thinking…. Vettel fan, haha?