Red Bull duo Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo have been excluded from qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, after the stewards deemed their front wings to be illegal.
FIA Technical Delegate Jo Bauer referred the matter to the panel shortly after qualifying, suggesting that the front wing flaps were “designed to flex” at high speed.
After carrying out their own investigation, the stewards agreed that the wing flaps breached Article 3.15 of the Technical Regulations, limiting moveable aerodynamics.
As a result, Vettel and Ricciardo’s times have been deleted, but they will be permitted to start the race from the back of the grid, as opposed to the pit lane.
While it accepted the penalty, Red Bull was quick to express its frustration at being “singled out”, as it reckons other teams are running similar designs.
“Following the decision of the stewards regarding the front wings on both our cars, we are disappointed that we have been singled out for a front wing deflection test when it is clear that other teams are interpreting the rules in a similar fashion,” read a statement from the team.
“The team accepts the decision of the stewards and will start the race from the back of the grid.”
