F1 News
Williams break key F1 rule: This is Albon's penalty
Alexander Albon has received a penalty and will start the sprint race from the pitlane. The Williams driver only managed to qualify in 18th place, so the drop isn't severe. Albon received the penalty because Williams altered the car during Parc Fermé conditions.
Albon had a mixed Friday. The Thai driver spun during the session which meant he couldn't improve his time in SQ1. Meanwhile, his younger teammate Franco Colapinto reached SQ3.
Why Albon received a grid penalty for the sprint race
Williams changed Albon's rear wing and set-up while the car was in parc fermé. Teams are not allowed to make changes to the car during parc fermé, so it is a clear penalty. Albon had almost nothing to lose, but with the points-paying positions as low as P8, it was a tall order from P18 anyway. He will now be able to test his set-up before qualifying later on Saturday night. All teams can make changes to their car between the Sprint and qualifying.
This article has been created in collaboration with Tim Kraaij
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