No penalty for Leclerc for his too slow formation lap
Charles Leclerc was under investigation by the stewards on Sunday during the race for driving slower than required by the regulations during his reconnaissance lap of the circuit, just before taking his place on the grid. No penalty was ultimately imposed on him.
According to article 12.1.1 of the FIA sporting regulations, drivers must adhere to a minimum time during the reconnaissance lap of the circuit, which is the lap to settle on the starting grid just before the race. This time is set independently for each circuit and in Belgium was 2 minutes and 4 seconds.
Charles Leclerc during his reconnaissance lap achieved a time of 2’06”087, which is 2.087 seconds slower than expected.
This time is taken into account from the moment the driver exits the pit lane at the red light. It is then counted until reaching the line before the grid placement.
After the Belgian Grand Prix, the stewards heard from Ferrari and Charles Leclerc and ultimately decided not to apply any penalty as the driver had not driven too slowly. Charles Leclerc had indeed stopped at the end of the pit lane to perform a start simulation, causing him to lose time. The stewards did not consider this action dangerous.
The FIA statement explains that the driver crossed the timing line and then stopped just after for about 12 seconds to perform a practice start before completing his reconnaissance lap. These claims have been verified by the driver’s onboard cameras.
