€10,000 fine for Haas
In addition to losing significant points in the championship, Haas was fined 10,000 euros for releasing both of its drivers with a wheel improperly secured.
Haas came very close to achieving the best result in its history as Kevin Magnussen had no trouble controlling Max Verstappen, then his teammate Romain Grosjean when the Dutchman made a mistake.
The two drivers then took turns in the pit lane to make their mandatory stop. But shortly afterwards, both drivers had to stop a few meters later. While Kevin Magnussen made it to the 4th turn, Romain Grosjean did not get past the first turn, which led to the deployment of the safety car.
The Dane tried to cover up the issue by saying on the radio that it was an engine problem that forced him to stop. But with the same problem hitting his teammate a few minutes later, it was clear that another problem was plaguing the American team, especially since the mechanics’ reaction at the end of the two stops was unmistakable.
In front of the cameras, Romain Grosjean later acknowledged that it was indeed a poorly secured wheel issue that had forced the abandonment of both machines. However, the French driver showed grace by taking the time to comfort his mechanics, who were overwhelmed by such a mishap.
The FIA nonetheless penalized the team for releasing a car in an unsafe manner. However, since they instructed the drivers to stop as quickly as possible and the wheel did not detach, the Federation exercised restraint in the financial sanction by imposing only two fines of 5,000 euros each.
With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr
