FIA Dismisses Aston Martin Protest Following Sainz Qualifying Crash

Following Aston Martin protest at the Chinese GP the FIA has made a decision. Aston Martin protested the qualifying results after Carlos Sainz crashed during Q2 leading to a red flag. Despite invoking Article 39.6 of the sporting regulations which states that any driver whose car stops on track during qualifying cannot continue, the FIA dismissed the protest. They cited past instances where this rule was not strictly enforced by teams and the FIA.

Aston Martin contended that while the rule hadn’t seen consistent enforcement, their concern lay in the duration of Sainz car obstructing the track. Nevertheless, stewards sided with allowing Sainz to proceed citing past occurrences where differing stoppage lengths were permitted. Consequently, Race Control decision aligned with historical practices deeming it compliant with Article 39.6.