Hungarian Grand Prix: Here's why Sebastian Vettel was disqualified
Sebastian Vettel lost his second-place finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday. The Aston Martin driver earned a valuable podium finish behind surprise winner Esteban Ocon but saw himself getting disqualified later on for a fuel rules breach. Notably, Aston Martin have notified the FIA of their intent to appeal the decision. They have time until Thursday to formalize a challenge. Here's more.
Vettel's car was found to have contained insufficient fuel
Notably, Vettel's car was found to have contained insufficient fuel at the end of the race. The German did not finish his cool-down lap after the chequered flag. He returned to the pits for the post-race celebrations on foot. Meanwhile, officials were unable to take the mandatory one-litre sample of fuel from Vettel's car after the Hungarian GP.
What is the fuel sample criteria?
F1 regulations state that "competitors must ensure that a 1.0-liter sample of fuel may be taken at any time during the event. Running less fuel can give a performance advantage as each liter of fuel equates to an average of about 0.035secs a lap, as per BBC. FIA said only an insufficient 300ml could be removed from Vettel's Aston Martin.
Here's what the stewards report stated
"After the race, it was not possible to take a 1.0-litre sample of fuel from car 5. The team was given several opportunities to attempt to remove the required amount of fuel from the tank, however, it was only possible to pump 0.3 litres out," the statement read.
More details of the statement
The statement also added that during the hearing in the presence of the FIA technical delegate and the FIA technical director, the team principal of Aston Martin stated that there must be 1.44 liters left in the tank. However, they were not able to extract that much. It also stated that Vettel's car wasn't in compliance with the requirements of Article 6.6.
Advantage Hamilton as outcome of appeal is awaited
The decision would promote Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton to second place. Hamilton finished third at the Hungarian GP. A second-place finish will see the Brit extend his championship lead over Red Bull's Max Verstappen to eight points. However, unconventionally, for the time being, Vettel has been left in the final results pending the appeal outcome.
Ocon wins maiden F1 race as Hamilton fights back
Alpine's Ocon sealed his maiden career F1 race in what was a superb show on an intense day. Fellow Alpine driver Fernando Alonso claimed fifth place. Hamilton fought back and took third place after being last with five laps into the race. Verstappen managed to salvage a point (10th) after being a victim of an incident-strewn wet start. Alpha Tauri and Williams claimed points.
Hamilton and Mercedes lead the standings in F1 2021
At the moment. Hamilton leads the show with 192 points and has a six-point advantage over Verstappen. This lead could turn into eight points. McLaren's Lando Norris is third on 113 points. In the Constructor Standings, Mercedes have a 10-point lead over Red Bull (290).
