Three drivers reprimanded after qualifying debacle

A trio of drivers have received reprimands from stewards for their role in the ridiculous ending to qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix.

Nico Hulkenberg, Carlos Sainz, and Lance Stroll were all reprimanded following an investigation into the closing minutes of the session.

All nine surviving cars in Qualifying 3 took to the track at the same time in the final minutes, jockeying for position in an effort to gain a slipstream for their flying lap.

It led to the cars running at significantly reduced speed in a pack reminiscent of a cycling peloton.

Of the nine cars, only Sainz made it to the line in time to begin a lap.

Following the session, Sainz was one of the three drivers whom stewards deemed had driven “unnecessarily slowly” and “played a significant role in the banking up of cars at a critical stage of the final out lap for Q3.”

An identical ruling to that handed down to Stroll and Hulkenberg.

As part of their findings the stewards also “strongly recommend that the FIA expedite a solution to this type of situation.”

Charles Leclerc secured pole courtesy of a lap set early in the session, just prior to Kimi Raikkonen spinning into the barriers at the Parabolica.

The Italian Grand Prix begins at 2310 AEST this evening.