Big penalty for Tsunoda yellow-flag pass adds to Sargeant's qualifying misery

While the grid drop is ultimately inconsequential given the Williams driver qualified 20th and last after having both of his lap times deleted for track limits in a messy Q1, he has also been given two penalty points on his licence. 

That takes Sargeant’s total for the 12 month period up to six points, leaving the American rookie just six shy of triggering an automatic one-race ban. 

The penalty compounds what was a nightmare qualifying for Sargeant as he ended up slowest in qualifying for the seventh time this season. 

“The driver of Car 2 stated that he overtook Car 22 because he appeared to be going slowly and also because he saw the green panel ahead,” the stewards noted. 

“The Stewards determined however that this was a breach of the regulations. The fact that a driver can see a green panel or flag ahead, does not mean that overtaking can occur in what is still a yellow flag zone. Overtaking can only occur after passing the green panel or flag.

“It was also noted that he did not make a sufficient reduction in speed.”

Sargeant’s Williams team have also received a €20,000 fine, of which €10,000 is suspended for 12 months, for leaving a jack unattended in the pit lane, which was struck by Tsunoda.