Esteban Ocon escaped receiving a heavier penalty for the contact with Franco Colapinto at the Formula 1 Chinese GP. This Sunday (15), the race direction cleared the Frenchman from adding penalty points to his Super License.
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The Haas driver hit the Alpine Argentine after the competitor returned to the track following a pit stop. The contact caused both drivers to spin on the track.
The stewards placed the blame entirely on Ocon for the collision and applied a 10s penalty during the race in Shanghai. However, the driver did not have points added to his license.
“Car 43 (Franco Colapinto) left the pits on lap 33 ahead of car 31 (Esteban Ocon),” the stewards noted. “Ocon was approaching car 43 in the long turn 1. Colapinto made the usual entry from the side into turn 2 and Ocon tried to overtake him on the inside, causing a collision,” the stewards wrote.
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“Applying the Driving Standard Guidelines, Ocon was not entitled to space on the inside at turn 2, as the front axle of Ocon’s car was not ahead of the mirror of Colapinto’s car before and at the apex of the turn. The stewards, therefore, determined that Ocon was solely to blame for the collision and applied the usual penalty,” it continued.
Any driver who reaches 12 penalty points receives a suspension for the following race.
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