The pair initially qualified 12th and 13th on the Marina Bay Street Circuit, but post-session checks by the FIA revealed that the uppermost rear wing elements on both cars exceeded the allowed limits.
FIA F1 Technical Delegate Jo Bauer confirmed the measurement: “Both cars exceeded the maximum limit of 85mm on both sides of the rear wing outer area.”
The infringement falls under article 3.10.10 g. of the technical regulations, which governs the Drag Reduction System (DRS). The rule requires that, when deployed, the gap between sections of the rear wing must remain between 9.4mm and 85mm across the span.
Following standard procedure, the stewards disqualified both cars. In their official notes, they explained that while Williams’ own measurements had initially indicated compliance, the FIA’s official check found otherwise.
“The competitor did not contest the measurement procedure, the methodology, or the accuracy of the measuring equipment used by FIA,” the stewards added, confirming the standard penalty for such technical infringements.
Williams Team Principal James Vowles described the disqualification as a setback, emphasising that no performance advantage was sought.
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“During FIA scrutineering after qualifying, the rear wings on both our cars failed DRS slot gap checks,” he said in a statement.
“As a result, Alex and Carlos have been disqualified from qualifying for tomorrow’s Singapore Grand Prix.
“This is bitterly disappointing for the team and we are urgently investigating how this happened.
“At no point were we seeking a performance advantage and the rear wings had passed our own checks earlier in the day, but there is only one measurement that matters and we fully accept the FIA ruling.”
Vowles added that the team would now focus on salvaging points from the back of the grid.
“We have a car capable of scoring points here this weekend and will do everything we can to fight from the back of the grid tomorrow, and will immediately review our processes to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
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