Aston Martin has been handed a second financial penalty for an incident involving Lance Stroll that the FIA stewards described as “potentially dangerous”.
As qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix started, Stroll was flagged for leaving the garage with his car in an unsafe condition; in particular, the wheel covers were still fitted to his AMR26.
As noted by the stewards in its post-investigation statement, “on its way down the pit lane at the start of the session, car 18 lost an outer wheel trim”. This was actually recovered by an FIA delegate in the pit lane and returned to the team.
On Stroll’s outlap out of the pits, “the inner wheel cover also dislodged”
The stewards felt this was a cause for concern. They noted, “This particular part, although made from carbon fibre, is still potentially dangerous if it hits another car or a person.
“The driver was not aware of the situation, and the team admitted that part of its inspection process had overlooked the correct fixation of the securing devices for these pieces. The team undertook to thoroughly review its inspection process.”
As a result of the incident, Aston Martin was fined €7,500. This followed an earlier punishment of €5,000 for an unsafe release of Fernando Alonso into the path of Alpine’s Franco Colapinto in the pit lane.
On the Stroll fine, the stewards added: “The penalty is higher than for an unsafe release due to the fact that the car was on the track when the second piece dislodged.”
