Gasly hit with pit lane start for missing FIA weighbridge

Pierre Gasly will start the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from the pit lane after being hit with a FIA penalty for ignoring the weighbridge at the end of free practice two.

Gasly and his Red Bull squad were summoned to the FIA stewards in Baku after failing to stop for the weighbridge at the end of FP2 despite being shown the pit lane red light with his race number. According to the initial FIA statement, his Red Bull squad also failed to bring Gasly back to the weighbridge and instead carried out a practice pit stop.

Following an FIA investigation the stewards have hit the French driver with a pit lane start penalty for this weekend’s race in Baku.

“The Stewards reviewed video evidence and heard from the driver of car 10 (Pierre Gasly) and the team representative and determined that the driver failed to stop for weighing when required to do so,” the FIA statement confirmed.

“Instead, he drove on and proceeded to do a pit stop where the car was worked on by lifting the car and all four wheels were changed, in breach of Article 29.1a.

“Under Article 29.1a the penalty for this infringement is specified to be for the car to start from the pit lane and we so order.”

Red Bull has the right to appeal against the penalty under the FIA Formula 1 sporting code.

Gasly ended FP2 ninth fastest on the timesheet.