SINGAPORE — Both Williams cars have been disqualified from the results of Saturday’s qualifying session at the Singapore Grand Prix after the Drag Reduction System (DRS) flap on the rear wings of both cars was found to open beyond the maximum limit permitted in the regulations.
Alex Albon qualified 12th and Carlos Sainz 13th in Saturday evening’s session, but they will now start the Sunday’s race from the back of the grid.
The DRS works as an overtaking aid in F1 by allowing drivers within a second of the car in front to open a flap in the rear wing, reduce drag and increase top speed during races.
DRS is also available to drivers in the permitted zones around the circuit throughout qualifying.
The maximum opening of the flap is 85mm, but post-session checks found both Williams cars to be beyond the limit.
“During post-qualifying scrutineering, the rear wing of the car was found to be noncompliant with the Technical Regulations,” a stewards’ statement said. “The uppermost rear wing element adjustable positions were checked. The DRS in the state of deployment exceeded the maximum limit of 85 mm on both sides of the rear wing outer area.
“At the hearing, the competitor admitted that, although their own measurement prior to the qualifying had shown the component to be within tolerance, the measurement subsequently conducted by the appointed FIA Officials revealed a larger gap than permitted and therefore the rear wing did not conform with the required dimension.
“The Competitor did not contest the measurement procedure, the methodology, or the accuracy of the measuring equipment used by FIA. The Competitor fully accepted the results of the FIA measurement and acknowledged that the rear wing fitted to the car did not comply with the requirements of the Technical Regulations.”
In a statement after the decision, Williams team principal James Vowles made clear that his team had not attempted to gain a performance advantage and was “urgently” investigating how the mistake happened.
“During FIA scrutineering after Qualifying, the rear wings on both our cars failed DRS slot gap checks,” Vowles said. “As a result, Alex and Carlos have been disqualified from qualifying for tomorrow’s Singapore Grand Prix. This is bitterly disappointing for the team and we are urgently investigating how this happened.
“At no point were we seeking a performance advantage and the rear wings had passed our own checks earlier in the day, but there is only one measurement that matters and we fully accept the FIA ruling.
“We have a car capable of scoring points here this weekend and will do everything we can to fight from the back of the grid tomorrow, and will immediately review our processes to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
