FIA Fines Mercedes - No Penalty for Tire Pressure Breach

Official : Mercedes F1 Escapes Sporting Penalty, Fined €5,000 per Car

04/11/2024

Mercedes F1 faced a fine but avoided a sporting penalty after tire pressure irregularities at the São Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil.

The FIA has released its findings on the investigation into the two Mercedes F1 drivers at the São Paulo Grand Prix. The Brackley-based team was accused of altering tire pressures after the wheels were already mounted on the cars.

Team representatives were summoned to explain the non-compliance with the procedure, and the chaotic nature of the race protocol, combined with the day’s tight schedule, contributed to increased confusion in race preparation.

“After the race start was halted, a 10-minute notice was immediately issued for the restart. Given the track layout and the access point to the grid from the pit lane, the time needed for the team to reach the grid was extended,” wrote the FIA.

“The access gate to the grid was not opened immediately. The FIA acknowledged that, given this short timeframe, it was extremely difficult, if not impossible, for teams to adhere to the procedure outlined in the technical directive.”

This led the federation to view the situation as a mitigating circumstance: “In light of the unusual circumstances surrounding the compressed schedule, interrupted start, grid access logistics, and considering the technical delegate’s stipulation that tire pressures were within the correct parameters, the stewards determine that a fine for procedural infraction is appropriate in this case.”

“Normally, a violation of this nature during a competitive session would incur a sporting penalty, but such a measure is not suitable in this instance. However, this decision should not be viewed as a precedent for any similar infraction in the future, as these circumstances are considered unique.”

FIA Fines Mercedes – No Penalty for Tire Pressure Breach FIA Fines Mercedes – No Penalty for Tire Pressure Breach

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Full 2025 F1 testing results

Carlos Sainz
1
CARLOS
SAINZ
Leader
Lewis Hamilton
2
LEWIS
HAMILTON
+0.031s
Charles Leclerc
3
CHARLES
LECLERC
+0.083s
George Russell
4
GEORGE
RUSSELL
+0.197s
Max Verstappen
5
MAX
VERSTAPPEN
+0.218s
Alex Albon
6
ALEX
ALBON
+0.302s
Kimi Antonelli
7
KIMI
ANTONELLI
+0.436s
Oscar Piastri
8
OSCAR
PIASTRI
+0.592s
Pierre Gasly
9
PIERRE
GASLY
+0.692s
Lance Stroll
10
LANCE
STROLL
+0.881s
Liam Lawson
11
LIAM
LAWSON
+0.904s
Jack Doohan
12
JACK
DOOHAN
+1.020s
Yuki Tsunoda
13
YUKI
TSUNODA
+1.149s
Isack Hadjar
14
ISACK
HADJAR
+1.327s
Fernando Alonso
15
FERNANDO
ALONSO
+1.352s
Esteban Ocon
16
ESTEBAN
OCON
+1.380s
Lando Norris
17
LANDO
NORRIS
+1.534s
Gabriel Bortoleto
18
GABRIEL
BORTOLETO
+1.709s
Nico Hulkenberg
19
NICO
HULKENBERG
+2.109s
Oliver Bearman
20
OLIVER
BEARMAN
+3.013s

Testing Total Distance Covered by Team

1
Mercedes
458
2
Haas
457
3
Racing Bulls
454
4
Alpine
405
5
Williams
395
6
Ferrari
382
7
McLaren
381
8
Sauber
354
9
Aston Martin
306
10
Red Bull
304
Race Center
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Australian GP
13 Mar - 16 Mar
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14 MAR 01:30
FP2
14 MAR 05:00
FP3
15 MAR 01:30
QU
15 MAR 05:00
RACE
16 MAR 04:00
F1 CALENDAR 2025
Race
Date
Australian Flag
Australian
Albert Park
16 Mar
Chinese Flag
Chinese
Shanghai International
23 Mar
Japanese Flag
Japanese
Suzuka Circuit
6 Apr
Bahrain Flag
Bahrain
Sakhir desert
13 Apr
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Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street
20 Apr
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