Charles Pic has landed a drive through penalty before the Japanese GP has even started. The Caterham driver will have to serve it in the first five laps of the race.
Pic was called before the FIA stewards for crossing the white line at the pit exit when the red light was on. He arrived at the light 5s after it went on – and the stewards noted that this was the second time he’d missed a light, having failed to stop for a weight check in Korea.
Because Pic already had a 10-place grid penalty for accumulating three reprimands the stewards decided to give him this unprecedented new penalty…
Well, as grid penalties is totally meaningless for the backmarkers this appear to be a suitable way to serve a punishment so that it fills it purpose.
Double standards or what? Webber gets a ten place penalty for 3 infringements but Pic only gets 5 Not impressed
So he will go from last place to last place…
@NathanielOffer: Webber got shifted for three Reprimands/warnings in the season. Pic got that too from his Korea speeding issues. Now failing to stop at a red light – major rulebreaker…
More effective grid penalties have been needed for some time for those who don’t qualify high enough. Perhaps a ‘ten-place drop’ should mean ten places over however many races it takes to serve them; two this week and three the next or whatever…