ABU DHABI, (Reuters) – Red Bull’s championship leader Sebastian Vettel will start today’s Abu Dhabi Grand prix from the pit lane as punishment for a fuel irregularity that could blow the Formula One title battle wide open.
Stewards stripped the 25-year-old of third place on the grid after post-qualifying checks on Saturday showed there was an insufficient quantity of fuel in the car for sampling purposes.
The ruling lifted Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, the Spaniard who is 13 points adrift of Vettel with three races remaining, to sixth place for the floodlit day-to-night race at the Yas Marina circuit where overtaking has been tricky in the past.
McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton will start on pole position alongside Vettel’s Australian team mate Mark Webber. Neither driver has any realistic hope of the title even if they remain mathematically in contention.
Vettel’s grid position was questioned after his team and their Renault technicians ordered him to stop immediately on the track as he headed back to the pits after the chequered flag.
Red Bull were summoned to stewards to explain why the car had not been driven back to the pits under its own power, the same failing that sent Hamilton to the back of the grid at the Spanish Grand Prix after he had qualified fastest.
The decision was announced four hours and 40 minutes after qualifying had ended. The four stewards included Britain’s former F1 driver Derek Warwick.
The stewards accepted telemetry evidence provided by the team that showed the car had stopped due to force majeure. However, the FIA technical delegate’s report showed the fuel irregularity.
“The stewards determine that this is a breach of article 6.6.2 of the Formula One Technical Regulations and the competitor is accordingly excluded from the results of the qualifying session,” the FIA statement said.
“The competitor is however allowed to start the race from the back of the grid.”
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said they had chosen instead to start from the pit lane so they could work on the car.
BRAKE PROBLEMS
Horner said Vettel, who would have been chasing his fifth win in a row after leading every lap of the last three races, had taken the news calmly. The driver also did his best to sound upbeat in a team statement.
“One of the best ski jumpers of all times once said ‘Every chance is an opportunity’ and as far as we are concerned there are still plenty of chances tomorrow,” he said.
