The grid for the Hungarian Grand Prix will remain unchanged despite the stewards debating whether eleven drivers who failed to set a time within 107% in Q1 would be allowed to start from the positions they qualified in.
Both Red Bull Racing, both Sahara Force India drivers and Valtteri Bottas’ Williams were all fretting to see whether stewards would allow them to keep their positions on the grid after the wet qualifying session and multiple red flags at the Hungaroring saw half the field failing to set a time within 107% of the fastest time of the session.
Article 35.1 of the sporting regulations states: “During Q1, any driver whose best qualifying lap exceeds 107% of the fastest time set during that session, or who fails to set a time, will not be allowed to take part in the race.
“Under exceptional circumstances however, which may include setting a suitable lap time in a free practice session, the stewards may permit the car to start the race.
“Any driver accepted in this manner will be placed at the back of the starting grid after any other penalties have been applied.
“Should there be more than one driver accepted in this manner they will be arranged on the grid in the order they were classified in P3.”
Stewards could have forced every driver who failed to get within 107% of Nico Rosberg’s session topping time of 1:33.302 to start at the back of the field behind all the drivers who did manage to get within that time, but common sense ultimately prevailed and the grid remains as it was at the end of Q3.
