Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton completed the positions of honor at the 2022 Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix and the trio of drivers celebrated, but about two hours after the checkered flag, the FIA called all three to declare for an alleged breach of pre-podium procedures.
According to the FIA statement, the investigation was related to article 12.2.1.j) of the International Sporting Code, which prohibits breaching “the instructions of the relevant stewards for the safe and orderly development of the event.”
Apparently, both Leclerc , Hamilton and Verstappen were treated by their physios before the podium ceremony, something that is totally prohibited by the regulations.
Although it is true that the trio on the podium made a clear violation of the International Federation (FIA) Sporting Regulations, after listening to the statements of the drivers and their respective teams, the stewards made the decision not to sanction any of them.
Due to this, Charles Leclerc maintains the victory and approaches Max Verstappen in the drivers’ classification, who for his part leaves Austria with a second position that for much of the race seemed complicated. Hamilton , in turn, maintains his third consecutive podium finish of the 2022 Formula 1 season.
Despite not imposing a sporting penalty, the stewards made the decision to penalize the three teams, Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes, with a suspended fine of 10,000 euros .
“The stewards received a report from the Media Delegate, which was later confirmed by video evidence, that the physios and drivers of the top three finishers entered the parc fermé without permission and in breach of the procedure that was published before the race. ‘for the orderly conduct of the event,'” reads the FIA’s statement on the incident.
“In part, this is done to prevent pilots from being able to dispose of some belongings before they are weighed.”
“Each team is fined €10,000, a fine that will be suspended for the remainder of the year pending any further violation of this procedure, and competitors are warned that accreditations of affected individuals may be refused in the event of a violation. systemic”.
