Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson will start 13th on the grid after receiving a three-place grid penalty for impeding Nico Hulkenberg during qualifying.
Ericsson had qualified tenth on the grid, but drops down to 13th as a result of being found guilty of impeding by the stewards following the session.
TV images showed Ericsson clearly obstructing the Force India driver at the Parabolica at the end of Hulkenberg’s first timed lap of Q1. Hulkenberg was also heard complaining about a separate incident with the Sauber at Turn 4 over team radio.
Ericsson was also given two penalty points on his super licence. This brings the Sauber driver up to seven points on his super license.
OEL F1 (@oel-f1)
5th September 2015, 16:28
Zero-place grid penalty?
Will Wood (@willwood)
5th September 2015, 16:31
@oel-f1 My mistake! Trying to keep up with all these penalties and not get confused is a nightmare this weekend…
OEL F1 (@oel-f1)
5th September 2015, 16:37
No worries, I just had to make that comment! :)
hunocsi (@hunocsi)
5th September 2015, 17:02
@willwood He should be 12th as Sainz is going to get a penalty after him, because the PU related penalties are only applied on Sunday.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
5th September 2015, 16:50
Anyway. Ericsson was caught at the parabolica, you can’t really avoid it at that point, especially whilst cueing behind Raikkonen. More points on his license and another petty penalty for a small team which actually means alot since the McLaren are wasting money on engines and holding onto the Sauber just to avoid looking ever more ridiculous. The other way around, there wouldn’t be a penalty.
Simon (@weeniebeenie)
5th September 2015, 17:03
Say what now? Ericsson wasn’t running at full pace and got in the way, slam dunk penalty. I don’t really know what McLaren have to do with anything.
Jules Winfield (@jules-winfield)
5th September 2015, 17:05
Cueing? He was playing snooker as well? He really is a multi-talented fellow.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
6th September 2015, 14:38
@jules-winfield ahah you’re right. I’m a big snooker fan. What a typo!
@weeniebeenie It’s the last corner you have no more chance to let anyone go without ruining your own lap, so do you understand anything about f1 @bascb Ericsson would have destroyed his lap had he allowe Hulk through, it’s a shame but that’s why drivers shouldn’t queue on the last sector the FIA has a rule for it, but it won’t work if there’s a train in S3. In the end the blocking didn’t matter and that’s why had that been McLaren there would be no penalty.
anon
5th September 2015, 17:13
@peartree, I’m not really sure what you mean – are you saying that, had Hulkenberg been holding up Ericsson, Hulkenberg would not have been penalised?
BasCB (@bascb)
5th September 2015, 19:09
did you see the footage before making that comment @peartree? Because Ericsson clearly turned into the racing line through the corner right ahead of Hulkenberg instead of staying outside on a wider line until the faster car was past him.
nomeg1 (@nomeg1)
5th September 2015, 17:12
No comments, well deserved !
What he did was very dangerous, mirrors…mirrors…
Rigi (@rigi)
5th September 2015, 17:23
i don’t see how it affected hulkenbergs total performance. he still got through the session and was able to set a faster lap time. if that hadn’t been the case, fair enough, the penalty is justified. i feel this penalty was only applied because the tv cameras were showing it. bet this happens all the time and i don’t think there’s been a penalty for impeding in qualifying so far this year. it’s a shame really, he did well to get the sauber into q3.
paul
5th September 2015, 17:35
That’s probably true.
Mr win or lose
5th September 2015, 17:37
Why 3 places? Why not 5 as usual? Why 2 penalty points on his superlicence? Because 3+2 = 5?
bezza695 (@bezza695)
5th September 2015, 18:00
don’t want to have Manor any further up the grid
Michael Brown
5th September 2015, 18:53
The impeding penalty has always been 3 places over the past few years.
bezza695 (@bezza695)
5th September 2015, 18:07
so what actually is the grid when you add up all the penalties?
R.J. O'Connell (@rjoconnell)
5th September 2015, 18:59
All I know is, Manor isn’t complaining one bit as their guys move up the grid tomorrow.
Neil (@neilosjames)
6th September 2015, 1:46
Rather depressing that the penalty for a driver actually doing something wrong on the track is less than the penalty for using a fifth power unit component.