Both Haas drivers have been disqualified from today’s Monaco Grand Prix qualifying session after their cars failed a legality check.
The FIA’s Formula 1 technical delegate Jo Bauer informed the stewards both drivers’ VF-24s did not pass an inspection of the DRS opening.The outer ends of the adjustable elements of the wings must not exceed 85mm. However Bauer’s measurement showed both cars exceeded this amount on the left and right-hand sides.
Technical infringements ordinarily result in exclusion from a session. The stewards, who accepted Haas’s explanation for the error, disqualified both the team’s cars.
“The team explained that this was the consequence of an inadvertent error on their part in setting the wing flap gap,” they explained. “The wing used was a new design that was used for the first time in Monaco.
“The old design was set to be compliant with the regulations with the largest gap measured from the centre of the wing. Under the new design, the largest gap was at the extremities of the wing but the team had not trained its mechanics to set the gap per the new design, resulting in the non-compliance.”
Haas were “candid” about their mistake, the stewards noted. “The wing was otherwise compliant with the technical regulations and the FIA technical team confirmed that they were satisfied with the team’s explanation for the error.”
Nico Hulkenberg therefore lost his 12th on the grid and Kevin Magnussen his 15th place start.
The team noted the decision and stated its drivers will start the race from the pit lane. Haas introduced a new rear wing specification for this race, as all teams did, in order to optimise their car for Monaco’s unique high-downforce demands.
Prior to the race team principal Ayao Komatsu said he was pleased the team had taken this step having chosen not to in previous seasons.
Lewis Hamilton was disqualified from the sprint race qualifying session for the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix after his Mercedes fell foul of the same regulation. Mercedes said the part was damaged.
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SteveP
25th May 2024, 18:31
Which was a comment from the team before they were allowed to examine it. They knew what the part should do and assumed the compliance failure was damage.
Following examination, they noted that it wasn’t actually damage, but a particular part had been wrongly fitted. A rule is a rule, however, so a slam dunk penalty, as it will be in this instance.
I would be surprised if damage or bad assembly was the cause in the Haas instance though.
Chris Horton
25th May 2024, 19:11
Do you know what part was incorrectly fitted?
Trying to imagine why Mercedes had a part available that meant the DRS flap could open beyond the permitted 85mm. Why would that part exist?
Jonathan Parkin
25th May 2024, 18:45
In recent past this would have been disqualification from the event, not qualifying. See Nick Heidfeld in 2000
hunocsi (@hunocsi)
25th May 2024, 20:41
I suppose recent past is relative when talking about a quarter of a century.
anon
25th May 2024, 22:12
Jonathan Parkin, as noted by hunocsi, you are stretching the definition of “recent past” quite considerably given that the regulation you are citing was rewritten in 2003. You are, quite literally, decades out of date.
Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
25th May 2024, 19:19
So Perez might effectively only be starting from 16th?
That’s it then … top points are in his pocket!
Seriously, this is a shame if correct.
I have been enjoying the Hass revival and both The Hulk and K-Mag have worked too hard to be shot down by the team/designers like this I would say.
Riccard
25th May 2024, 19:27
They would be disappointed, but if their fast pace came partly as a result of cars that breached the limits, it’s a fair response.
At least it was caught in qualifying rather than the race – if the latter, they could have been DQ’d from the whole thing.
Riccard
25th May 2024, 19:24
The Haas pair seemed unusually fast in qualifying: this might explain it.
Like Hamilton’s unexpectedly good race in Austin last year.
EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
26th May 2024, 2:40
It is correct to say that this ‘might’ explain it. Whilst it is possible, and perhaps even probably that this made a positive difference of an amount that effected their qualifying position, we can still only assume that this is the case.
Dale
26th May 2024, 10:24
Hulkenberg qualified 12th … his average for the season is 11th … nothing ‘”unusually fast” about that.
If you’re not a regular follower, rather don’t rush to conclusion.
Bullfrog
25th May 2024, 23:21
Any penalty points for Kevin?
Sparky (@sfrank15)
26th May 2024, 0:03
Maybe the Penske engineers that got suspended were helping out Haas this weekend? It is not cheating unless you get caught.
Dale
26th May 2024, 10:27
Remember the good old days when scrutineering happened before the event … and avoided the necessity to change results after the fact.
I’m so tired of watching F1 live and then finding out hours later that I wasted my time because the official results don’t match what I watched.
CheeseBucket
26th May 2024, 12:31
Yes. It happens so often it’s exhausting. Almost every race!