Both Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel have been excluded from qualifying after their Infiniti Red Bull Racing machines were found to be in breach of the FIA regulations.
Ricciardo had qualified fifth and Vettel sixth in Abu Dhabi, but their disqualification will see them start the race at the back of the field after stewards allowed them to compete.
F1 Technical delegate Jo Bauer said that the “front wing flaps were designed to flex under aerodynamic load” which is against the regulations, and following discussions with stewards and Red Bull representatives, the cars were deemed to be illegal.
A statement from the team said they accepted the punishment but were disappointed to be singled out when they believe other teams are also interpreting the ambiguous rules in a similar manner.
“Following the decision of the Stewards regarding the front wings on both our cars (Car 1 and Car 3), 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,” said the statement.
“The team accepts the decision of the Stewards and will start the race from the back of the grid.”
Their disqualification promotes Scuderia Toro Rosso driver and 2015 Red Bull driver Daniil Kvyat up into fifth, with Jenson Button moving up to sixth for McLaren.
