FIA hit Charles Leclerc with punishment following.... at Azerbaijan...

FIA hit Charles Leclerc with punishment following…. at Azerbaijan…read more

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari’s star driver, found himself in front of the FIA stewards during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend following an alleged infringement during the final practice session. The issue arose from an incident in which Leclerc failed to slow down adequately during a yellow flag period, which had been triggered by Pierre Gasly’s off-track excursion in his Alpine at the Baku City Circuit.

Leclerc, who posted the second-fastest time of the third practice session with a lap of 1:42.527, completed his lap while yellow flags were being waved in the first sector. These flags had been brought out when Gasly went into the escape area, but Leclerc continued to push on during his fast lap, a decision that caught the attention of the stewards.

The Monegasque driver was summoned to explain his actions before the stewards at 14:45 local time, ahead of the crucial qualifying session in Baku. Following the hearing, Leclerc received a reprimand from the FIA, though the stewards acknowledged that there were mitigating circumstances that influenced their decision.

In their official statement, the stewards detailed the sequence of events that led to the reprimand. As Leclerc approached Turn 2, he had a visual on Gasly’s car ahead of him. However, by the time he reached Turn 3, the exact position of Gasly’s Alpine was unclear, both to Leclerc and based on the in-car footage. The stewards noted that Leclerc passed the marshaling signal board before Turn 3, where no signal was being displayed at that moment.

According to telemetry and video analysis, Gasly only came into view of Leclerc’s in-car camera as the Ferrari driver was fully engaged in braking. At this point, a single yellow flag was shown from an elevated position near the runoff area just before Leclerc was set to enter Turn 3. The stewards explained that Leclerc, being under heavy braking, had limited ability to react further without risking an accident. Leclerc himself mentioned in the hearing that while he noticed some movement in his peripheral vision, his focus was on the apex of the corner and he did not immediately recognize that the yellow flag had been deployed.

The stewards deemed Leclerc’s reaction reasonable, considering that he was already slowing down as required when the yellow flag was fully visible. After navigating Turn 3, Leclerc was able to clearly see a green flag and a clear track ahead of him. Despite this, the regulations stipulate that the yellow flag sector extends to the point where the green flag is displayed, meaning that Leclerc’s actions were still subject to scrutiny.

Telemetry data indicated that Leclerc applied the throttle in a similar manner to his other fast laps, and the mini-sector timing revealed that this was his quickest time through that section of the track up to that point in the session. The stewards acknowledged that factors such as increasing grip and decreasing fuel loads were likely contributors to his faster lap time, but they also concluded that Leclerc should have taken additional caution and reduced his throttle application during the yellow flag period, as per the FIA regulations.

Despite these findings, the stewards highlighted several factors in Leclerc’s favor. They confirmed that no competitive advantage was gained from the incident, and at no point was Leclerc’s driving considered dangerous. Furthermore, the stewards emphasized that Leclerc was fully under braking when the yellow flag became visible, and his actions were reasonable given the circumstances.

In light of these considerations, the stewards decided to issue a reprimand rather than a more severe penalty. They noted that Leclerc’s actions aligned with the intent of the regulations to ensure safety, even though he did not fully comply with the requirement to noticeably reduce speed in the yellow flag zone.

In a separate incident, Sergio Perez of Red Bull received a warning following a clash with Carlos Sainz, marking a role reversal of a similar incident between the two during Friday’s practice sessions.

Leclerc’s reprimand serves as a reminder of the importance of adhering to yellow flag regulations, even during practice sessions where no competitive advantage is at stake. Nevertheless, the stewards’ leniency underscores the fact that the driver’s actions were judged within the context of the unique challenges presented by the Baku City Circuit.