Sebastian Vettel will start Formula 1’s Bahrain Grand Prix from the back of the grid after being handed a penalty for failing to adhere to yellow flags.
Nikita Mazepin spun during the closing moments of Q1, bringing out the double waved yellow flags, with Vettel among four drivers to approach the scene at Turn 1.
In a report issued stewards outlined that Sergio Perez and George Russell received the chequered flag, and were instructed to slow, with Russell also informed that it was a double yellow in that sector.
Valtteri Bottas was immediately instructed by Mercedes to abandon his lap.
Stewards outlined that “Vettel did not abandon his lap. He explained that he saw the smoke ahead of him but was unsure if it was a lock-up or a stopped car until he was quite close to the car and the smoke was lifting.”
The stewards observed that Vettel “had already passed the signal panel when it was illuminated as he approached the scene, and that the marshals in that turn had not yet reacted with a yellow flag.
“Nevertheless Vettel was approaching a car that was stopped sideways on the track and by the rule this would necessitate a double yellow flag.”
It was emphasised that during Friday’s drivers’ briefing Race Director Michael Masi explained that the flag code “must be rigorously enforced” and that in the pre-event notes drivers were informed of the requirement to abandon laps in practice and qualifying in such a situation.
This has been done to “disincentivise the drivers from any type of management of their speeds approaching an incident with a view to maybe setting a lap time.”
It was underlined that Vettel “slowed slightly approaching the incident but continued trying to set a meaningful lap time.”
In such an instance Vettel “would have received a warning on his dash and the team should have been able to see that the sector had been a double yellow and could have advised the driver as other teams did.”
Vettel was consequently slapped with a five-place grid penalty, though will only drop two spots to 20th, having finished Q1 in 18th position.
It elevates Haas duo Mick Schumacher and Mazepin to 18th and 19th respectively for their grand prix debuts.
Vettel was also issued with three penalty points for the transgression.
