At the end of Q1, Albon parked his Williams on track in the final sector after hurriedly being told by his race engineer to stop the car immediately.
It soon transpired Albon’s car was stopped because it was almost out of fuel, F1 cars having to produce at least a one litre fuel sample so the FIA can carry out its scrutineering checks after the session.
However, Albon was referred to the stewards after the FIA’s technical team could only extract a 0.33 litre sample in parc ferme.
On Saturday evening, the stewards decided to exclude Albon from qualifying, meaning he will start Sunday’s race from the back of the field.
The stewards’ statement read: “After qualifying, Car 23 had insufficient fuel to yield the required 1.0 litre sample.
“Given this situation, Car 23 is not in compliance with the requirements of Article 6.5 of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations.
“According to Art. 6.5.2 competitors must ensure that a 1.0 litre sample of fuel may be taken from the car at any time. The procedure was followed however the 1.0 litre sample of fuel was unable to be taken.
“The Stewards determine to apply the standard penalty for technical infringements. Therefore they took into account, that it shall be no defence to claim that no performance advantage was obtained.
“The Stewards have received a request from Williams Racing to allow Car 23 to start the race. The Stewards therefore grant permission for Car 23, Alex Albon to start the race.”
Alex Albon, Williams FW44
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Albon had qualified in 16th after failing to get his tyres up to temperature on his final push lap, as a late red flag only gave drivers two minutes to cross the line from the pitlane.
That meant Albon had to queue at the end of the pitlane to gain track position ahead of the green light, and Williams’ head of vehicle performance Dave Robson believes that extended period out in the pitlane and the outlap “race” with fellow competitors may have contributed to Albon’s lack of fuel.
“We could see a problem as he came towards the pitlane at the end of that lap where something wasn’t quite right, so we opted to stop the car just to make sure we didn’t damage anything,” Robson explained ahead of the verdict.
“I think the fact that we had to go and queue at the end of the pitlane after the red flag to get that lap in meant that the out lap was then a lot more aggressive than we had planned.
“So, I think that’s why we were a bit lower than we would have liked.”
How canny Alonso’s DRS campaign found Alpine F1 some speed
Bottas blames wing choice for end of F1 Q3 appearances streak
Williams: Lack of confidence in the car behind Latifi F1 struggles
Wolff: F1 budget cap allowance would help adjust staff salaries
The art of compromise an F1 race engineer has to master
Russell: Albon has done “exceptional job” as Williams F1 replacement
Albon explains why he held up Leclerc on drying Monaco F1 track
The driver comeback story to watch in F1 2022
Williams F1 team fined for financial rules procedure breach
The heart-warming story behind Albon’s red hair craze
How a dark Williams chapter could yield a delayed bonus
McLaren models to feature in Petersen Automotive Museum
“A bit sad” new F1 rules haven’t cut gap to front, says Gasly
Zhou not yet giving thought to next year’s F1 plans
Number of US sponsors in F1 has doubled under Liberty – Williams
How classic Alonso strengths are helping him in a critical F1 phase
Fernando Alonso has been involved in F1 for over two decades and shows no signs of slowing down. Ben Edwards digs into the work ethic and team-building ability which underpins Alonso’s longevity.
The overlooked flaws of the 2022 F1 cars that Baku will expose
OPINION: Though Formula 1’s return to ground-effect may have boosted overtaking, the other clear by-product of the technical overhaul has been weight gain. With wet conditions in Monaco stealing the show, the greatest shortcomings of the new rules will be on clear display at this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Is F1 barking up the wrong tree with its anti-jewellery stance?
In a new regular column, Maurice Hamilton draws on his decades of grand prix experience to give an alternative take on the news. First up, he ponders the ongoing brouhaha over jewellery…
The contrasting temperaments that could prove key in F1 2022 title fight
For the first time in a decade, Red Bull and Ferrari are properly fighting it out for the world championship – and, as Stuart Codling reveals, the duelling drivers are children of the 1990s who are picking up a similarly old grudge match from where they left off…
How star-studded Miami Grand Prix reveals F1’s direction of travel
Home to many a cinematic car chase, Miami has made a visually dramatic impact on the F1 calendar too – as one wag put it, they paved a parking lot and put up a paradise. GP Racing’s STUART CODLING was on the scene to sample a world of celebrities, fake marinas and imperilled six-foot iguanas…
Porpoising: A lesson from history and one of F1’s greatest teams
Although the 2022 Formula 1 season is destined to be forever linked to the word ‘porpoising’, this is not a new phenomenon. In fact, it’s a problem that was identified at the start of the first ground-effects era and has returned with a change in the rules that once more allow downforce-generating floors.
The longest-serving Red Bull driver revealing F1’s true brutality
His day of days in Formula 1 came at Indianapolis in 2005, a day grand prix racing strives to forget. But Patrick Friesacher, the long-serving Red Bull lieutenant, remains active today driving a two-seater that provides ordinary people with a glimpse of an F1 car’s savage potential, including this writer…
The mistakes putting Ferrari’s bid to end its F1 title drought in jeopardy
OPINION: After taking an early lead in the 2022 Formula 1 title race, Ferrari and Charles Leclerc have together made a series of high-profile mistakes to give Red Bull an advantage after the opening seven races. Here’s why Ferrari cannot afford to make any more errors this season…
