Singapore sprint qualifying turmoil infuriates F1 teams as Aston Martin evaluates their alternatives.
An error in race control that resulted in reduced power for cars during sprint qualifying at F1's Singapore GP has left numerous teams feeling exasperated, with Aston Martin still weighing its options.
The initial segment of sprint qualifying at the Marina Bay circuit in Singapore was halted with a red flag to address debris from Sergio Perez's front wing. When the session resumed, a mistake by race control meant that the overtake mode, a power boost typically active throughout qualifying, was not reactivated. Multiple drivers noted a curious drop in power, due to the absence of the additional electric boost.
Upon realizing the mistake, a race control official reactivated the mode for 27 seconds before turning it off again. Consequently, the outcome of SQ1 was significantly impacted, as some cars had set their fastest laps during the first part of SQ1 using Overtake Mode as expected, while others were either unable to improve their times without the extra power or found themselves outside the top 16 cutoff after the stoppage.
While most cars were affected to a certain extent, the mistake particularly impacted drivers like Arvid Lindblad, Lance Stroll, and the two Williams cars, all of whom were eliminated in SQ1.
Motorsport.com has learned that Williams appealed to race control after SQ1 to allow all 22 cars to take part in SQ2, essentially starting afresh. However, it is understood that race stewards rejected that appeal, as they were uncertain about their regulatory authority to grant it. Another appeal to re-run SQ1 was also denied due to a lack of available tire sets.
As FIA's single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis convened with the affected teams and drivers, both Williams and Racing Bulls expressed considerable frustration over the situation, although both teams indicated they do not plan to contest the results of sprint qualifying.
Aston Martin has suggested it wishes to keep its options open, contingent on any further actions by the FIA to address the situation. The team is eager for the starting grid for Saturday morning's sprint to represent a fair and level playing field. However, it is understood that no further modifications to the sprint qualifying results will be made, and the SQ1 outcome is not currently subject to protest. Regardless, it’s difficult to envision how the governing body could have intervened to resolve the situation without causing additional discontent throughout the grid.
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
This incident marks the second notable disruption in consecutive weekends, following last week's Bahrain GP in Malaysia, which was postponed due to a software malfunction in the power unit control systems.
The FIA's race control issue was separate from a distinct timing problem, managed by F1, which failed to register several lap times throughout SQ1. However, the unreliable lap times left numerous drivers bewildered about whether they had done enough to advance to SQ2, further adding to the confusion.
An apology issued by the FIA following the SQ1 error stated: "During the first period of Sprint Qualifying, there was a human error in Race Control, unrelated to the timing issue also encountered in SQ1. This specific issue meant that Overtake Mode was unavailable after the red flag period during SQ1. Once it became clear that Overtake Mode was not active post-restart, it was activated for a duration of 27 seconds before being deactivated once more.
"The FIA acknowledges that this regrettable human error impacted the performance of certain cars based on the timing of their runs and their positions around the lap. The second and third segments of Sprint Qualifying were not affected."
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