Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo set for FIA race stewards summons

Kimi Raikkonen and his Alfa Romeo Racing squad will have to face the FIA Formula 1 race stewards after a technical problem was detected with his car after qualifying.

The Finn, who is set to start the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from eighth place, had his Alfa Romeo C38 scrutinised after qualifying as part of the standard parc ferme assessments completed by the FIA.

The F1 governing body reported Raikkonen’s front wing failed a flap deflection test and FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer has triggered a summons for the Finn with the FIA race stewards.

“A front wing flap deflection test was carried out on car number 07,” Bauer’s post-qualifying FIA technical report read.

“As the front wing flap deflected more than 5 mm under a load of 60 N and as this is not in compliance with Article 3.9.8 of the 2019 Formula One Technical Regulations, I am referring this matter to the stewards for their consideration.”

Raikkonen’s Alfa Romeo team has been summoned to an FIA race stewards hearing at 1335 local time (under three hours before the race start). If found guilty, it is likely to see Raikkonen excluded from the qualifying results and will have to start from the pit lane in Baku.

Both Red Bull’s Pierre Gasly and Williams’ Robert Kubica are already starting from pit lane.

Gasly starts from pit lane after ignoring FIA weighbridge orders at the end of FP2 – while he was also excluded from qualifying results for exceeding a maximum fuel flow limit in Q1.

Kubica will start from pit lane after Williams were forced into key pairs to his FW42 which changed the technical specification of his car.