Formula 1 News: Ocon’s car fails inspection, will start last in Baku

Esteban Ocon’s (pictured) Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend took a turn for the worse after a disappointing Q1 exit was compounded by a disqualification from Saturday’s qualifying session. The Haas driver’s car was found to have violated Formula 1’s Technical Regulations, specifically concerning the rear wing.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Ocon, who had already struggled in qualifying, dropping out in 18th place during Q1, faced further scrutiny when his VF-25 was flagged for breaching Article 3.15.17 of the FIA Technical Regulations, which governs the rear wing main plane tip deflection test. Post-session inspections revealed that the deflection on Ocon’s rear wing exceeded the permitted 05mm limit, measuring 0.6mm on the left side and 0.825mm on the right, according to FIA F1 Technical Delegate Jo Bauer.

The stewards’ investigation confirmed the violation. “The FIA representatives outlined the test procedure, noting that the distance between the RV-RW-PROFILES and RV-RW-TIP sections, inboard of Y=525, exceeded the allowed 0.5mm,” the stewards’ decision read. They verified the calibration of the measuring instrument and noted that Haas acknowledged the test was conducted correctly. The team attributed the issue to a manufacturing flaw in the rear wing assembly.

As is standard for technical infringements, the stewards disqualified Ocon from the qualifying results, deepening the challenges for the Frenchman in an already difficult weekend in Baku.