Albon DQ’d from qualifying over fuel sample breach

Jamie Woodhouse 09 Apr 2022 9:00 AM

Alex Albon, Williams, clips the kerb. Australia, April 2022.

Williams’ Alex Albon has been excluded from the qualifying results in Australia after a fuel sample could not be provided.

It is stated in the technical regulations the FIA must be able to take a one-litre fuel sample from a car at any time, but following qualifying at the Australian Grand Prix the FIA were unable to do so from Albon’s Williams.

The stewards applied the “standard penalty for technical infringements”, which sees Albon excluded from the qualifying standings.

On the plus side, Albon has been given permission to race, so will only drop one further place having been set to start from P19 anyway as he was carrying a three-place grid penalty into the Melbourne race weekend for a collision with Lance Stroll at the previous round in Saudi Arabia.

🚨 BREAKING 🚨

Alex Albon has been disqualified from qualifying after the FIA were unable to access a 1 litre fuel sample.#F1 #AustralianGP

— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) April 9, 2022

“The stewards heard from the team representative,” the FIA report on Albon’s fuel sample enquiry began.

“After qualifying, Car 23 had insufficient fuel to yield the required 1.0 litre sample.

“Given this situation, Car 23 is not in compliance with the requirements of Article 6.5 of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations. According to Art. 6.5.2 competitors must ensure a 1.0 litre sample of fuel may be taken from the car at any time.

“The procedure was followed, however the 1.0 litre sample of fuel was unable to be taken.

“The stewards determine to apply the standard penalty for technical infringements. Therefore they took into account that it shall be no defence to claim no performance advantage was obtained.

“The stewards have received a request from Williams Racing to allow Car 23 to start the race. The stewards therefore grant permission for Car 23, Alex Albon, to start the race.”

It caps off a nightmare qualifying session for Williams in Australia, the team having another expensive repair job to carry out on Nicholas Latifi’s car after his collision with Stroll during Q1.

Stroll received a three-place grid penalty for that incident although, having failed to set a lap time anyway, Albon’s punishment means he is now set to gain a place.