FIA launches double British Grand Prix investigation after sprint qualifying
The FIA has launched a stewards' investigation
Williams driver Alex Albon and Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad are under investigation by the FIA at the British Grand Prix for failing to follow the race director’s instructions during sprint qualifying.
Albon qualified 16th in a challenging sprint qualifying session for Williams on Friday, with Lindblad ending the session in 10th.
FIA launches British Grand Prix sprint qualifying investigation
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The pair have been summoned to the stewards over alleged breaches of Article 12.2.1.i of the FIA International Sporting Code in combination with the Race Director’s Competition Notes.
The offence related to driving unnecessarily slowly during qualifying.
Albon and a Williams team representative were required to report to the FIA stewards at 17:50 local time at Silverstone.
Lindblad and a Racing Bulls team representative are scheduled for a separate hearing at 18:10.
Albon and Williams have endured a troubled start to the F1 2026 season, with the London-born Thai driver having just five points to his name entering the British Grand Prix weekend.
Lindblad, meanwhile, has enjoyed an impressive first half to his rookie season. The 18-year-old, of Virginia Water in Surrey, recorded a third consecutive points finish at last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix.
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Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton claimed pole position for the sprint race in Friday’s qualifying session.
Hamilton clocked a fastest lap time of 1:28.376 to beat Mercedes driver and F1 2026 championship leader Kimi Antonelli by a margin of 0.011 seconds.
Max Verstappen, the Red Bull driver and four-time world champion, qualified third.
The sprint race is due to begin at 12:00 local time at Silverstone on Saturday, with qualifying for the main event scheduled for 16:00.
The British Grand Prix will take place from 15:00 on Sunday.
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