Esteban Ocon disqualified from Azerbaijan GP qualifying following failed wing test
Esteban Ocon has been disqualified from Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying following a failed rear wing deflection test.
Esteban Ocon has been disqualified from qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after his No. 31 Haas was found to have failed the standard rear wing plane tip deflection test.
Ocon, who qualified 18th on the grid, will now have to start from the back of the field.
Esteban Ocon summoned for rear wing deflection test failure
An already challenging Saturday at the Baku City Circuit has been made all the harder for Esteban Ocon; the Haas driver has been disqualified for a breach of technical regulation Article 3.15.17 of the FIA technical regulations.
This rule relates to the allowable amount that a rear wing can flex, which is set at a maximum of 0.5mm. FIA Formula 1 technical delegate Jo Bauer referred the matter to the stewards after finding that the deflection figures exceeded that allowed amount.
This technical regulation is new for the F1 2025 season, introduced at the Chinese Grand Prix weekend and further refined at the Spanish Grand Prix.
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Article 13.15.17 originally stated that “if 75kg of vertical load is applied on either extremity of the rear wing mainplane, the distance between the mainplane and the flap (also known as “slot gap”) must not vary by more than 2mm.
“From the forthcoming Grand Prix in Shanghai, this limit will be reduced to 0.5mm.”
From the Spanish Grand Prix onwards, when load is applied to both sides of the car, the vertical deflection must be no more than 10mm. When load is applied to one side of the car, then the vertical deflection must be no more than 15mm. Both of those figures are allowed 0.5mm divergence.
Esteban Ocon’s No. 31 Haas has failed this test, and as a result, the FIA stewards determined that a disqualification was the appropriate response.
“The Stewards heard from the team representative of Car 31 and the Haas Head of Car Engineering, plus the FIA Technical Delegate and FIA Deputy Technical Delegate,” the FIA ruling read.
“The driver (Esteban Ocon) was excused from the hearing.
“The FIA representatives described the test procedure used and reported that the distance between the two sections of RV-RW-PROFILES and RV-RW-TIP inboard of Y=525 varied by more than the permitted 0.5mm (0.6mm on the left side and 0.825mm on the right side.
“The calibration of the measuring instrument was verified and valid. The team conceded that the test procedure, as outlined in the regulations, had been followed and explained that the discrepancy was a result of a problem with the production of the assembly of this specific part.
“The Stewards determine that the vehicle does not comply with the regulations and hence impose the usual penalty of disqualification from the Qualifying classifications.”
As a result, Ocon will drop to the rear of the field. Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon will both be promoted one grid slot.
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