Adrian Sutil has been fined $10,000 by the Singapore stewards for attempting to drive his damaged car back to the pits.
The German broke his front suspension when he bounced over the notorious Turn 10 chicane in Friday’s second session. The front left wheel folded over the nose, but he decided to carry on and try to get back to the pits. He had done a large chunk of the lap before the team advised him to pull off, and he went down an escape road.
The FIA reported that Sutil “did not leave the track as soon as it was safe to do so, and this was potentially dangerous to spectators, marshals and other drivers.”
The FIA has clamped down on drivers continuing with damaged cars, especially if wheels are involved. Incidents last year involving Sebastian Vettel (after the clash with Kubica in Australia) and Fernando Alonso (a loose wheel in Hungary) attracted the attention of the stewards. Drivers are now obliged to stop as soon as it is safe to do so, according to Article 30.14
The Felipe Massa accident in Hungary last year also put a focus on the repercussions of debris falling off cars.
Adam Cooper F1 