28/04/2019
NEWS STORY
Kimi Raikkonen will start today's Azerbaijan Grand Prix from the pitlane after being excluded from the qualifying results.
Alfa Romeo was summoned by the stewards this morning after it was found that the Finn's front wing "deflected more than 5mm under a load of 60N".
With Article 3.9.8 of the Technical Regulations, stating that; "any part of the trailing edge of any front wing flap may deflect no more than 5mm, when measured along the loading axis, when a 60N point load is applied normal to the flap", it was expected that the charge would be upheld and Raikkonen excluded from the results.
Sure enough, having heard from team representatives, the stewards ruled that "a front wing flap deflection test was carried out on car number 07. As the front wing flap deflected more than 5 mm under a load of 60 N and as this is not in compliance with Article 3.9.8 of the 2019 Formula One Technical Regulations", Raikkonen is excluded from the qualifying results and will start from the pitlane.
While the Finn will join Pierre Gasly and Robert Kubica in the pitlane, this means that Charles Leclerc will start from 8th.
In an added bonus, after Ferrari successfully persuaded the stewards that Leclerc's tyres had been flat-spotted in yesterday's Q2 crash, the Monegasque will start on a new set of mediums.
Check out our Sunday gallery from Baku, here.