The result of the investigation into Ferrari, conducted by the FIA stewards this Friday in Belgium, has been released. The Italian team was officially punished by the FIA after violating a procedure outlined in the Formula 1 sporting regulations, involving the return of tires at Spa-Francorchamps.
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The investigation was opened after TL1, placing the Maranello team under review before the continuation of the weekend’s activities. At the end of the inquiry, the entity decided to apply only a financial penalty, with no sporting consequences for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
The case is related to article 6.4.2 of the category’s sporting regulations. The rule states that every set of tires returned electronically must also be physically delivered to the official supplier, Pirelli, before the start of the next session.
According to the stewards, Ferrari did not deliver a set of tires within the required deadline after TL1. The irregularity was identified and forwarded for FIA analysis after TL2, when the documentation related to the procedure was reviewed.
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After examining the details of the occurrence, the stewards concluded that a fine was an appropriate and proportional punishment. Ferrari received a total penalty of approximately US$ 11,700, with about US$ 5,850 attributed to each of its drivers.
This decision quickly closed an episode that drew attention in the paddock at Spa on Friday. With this, the Italian team avoids any loss of grid positions or other sanctions that could compromise their performance for the rest of the weekend.
With the administrative issue resolved, Scuderia now focuses its efforts exclusively on the qualifying session and the GP. Ferrari’s goal is to turn the performance shown in the free practice sessions into a competitive result at the Belgian GP.
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