No grid penalty for Vettel as FIA deems wheel was loose but not unsafe

The FIA stewards have decided to take no further action against Sebastian Vettel for an unsafe release after a further investigation this morning.

As reported here earlier, during yesterday’s investigation into Vettel’s collision with Sergio Perez it emerged that one of the German’s front wheels may have been loose. If that was classed as an unsafe release, he risked a grid penalty.

An investigation was postponed until this morning as the FIA wanted to gather further evidence. It was deemed that while the wheel was not properly in place, it was in fact secured, and the retention device was still safely in place.

The FIA accepted that the driver and team had the situation under control, and that the wheel could not have come off. Video of the pit stop showed that there was no panic among the crew and no suggestion that anyone thought the car had been dispatched with a wheel issue.

As such it was not deemed to be an unsafe release, and there is no grid penalty for Vettel.

3 Comments

Filed under F1, F1 News

3 responses to “No grid penalty for Vettel as FIA deems wheel was loose but not unsafe

  1. russ

    He drove straight into another Driver but it wasn’t unsafe……………….
    Typical. Amateur stewarding.

  2. GeorgeK

    I think I saw the same incident as everyone else, and I saw Perez chop down on Vettel, who was almost riding the kerb. Why does Vettel deserve any blame regardless of any wheel wobbles???

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