Formula One teams will lose 10 places if car exits pits with a loose wheel

A FIA official runs over to the pits as Red Bull driver Mark Webber’s wheel bounces through the pit lane  at the Nuerburgring. Photograph: Reuters
A FIA official runs over to the pits as Red Bull driver Mark Webber’s wheel bounces through the pit lane at the Nuerburgring. Photograph: Reuters

Teams will be given a 10-place grid penalty if they send their car out of the pits with a loose wheel.

The new rule comes after an incident at the German Grand Prix where a cameraman was injured by a flying wheel.

It will be applied during all practice sessions, qualifying and the race.

Penalty
The teams have been told by race director Charlie Whiting that stewards are most likely to impose that penalty if the car which is released is in a dangerous condition.

If such an incident happens in practice or qualifying, the grid penalty will be applied at that race.

READ MORE

If it occurs during a race, the penalty will be applied at the following race.

The pit-lane speed limit has also been reduced in practice sessions from 100km/h to 80km/h, after a rear wheel came off Mark Webber’s Red Bull as it had not been secured.


IN THIS SECTION