Pierre Gasly receives penalty for Hungarian Grand Prix

Pierre Gasly will not start the race from the grid, but from the pit lane, due to the strict penalties for replacing parts.

Qualifying didn’t bode well for Gasly, finishing 20th, which set the tone for a tough race day. Alpine, wanting to seize the moment to minimize losses, chose this moment to introduce new engine components, specifically the Energy Store and Control Electronics. Due to Formula 1 rules regarding the replacement of parts, not only under parc ferme but also when taking more parts than the allowed number in a single season, as they have done with his Control Electronics, this change means that Gasly will start his race behind everyone else.

This strategy from Alpine reflects a tactical resignation to the immediate obstacles in favour of potential long-term gains. Starting from the back of the grid, the impact of the penalty is somewhat mitigated, although it is clearly far from an ideal start for Gasly, who joined Alpine hoping to make substantial progress in this season’s championship.

The official FIA report stated:

The following driver will use a new energy storage (ES) for the remainder of the competition:

The energy storage used by Pierre Gasly is the third (3) of two (2) new energy storage permitted for the 2024 Championship season and this is not in accordance with Article 28.2 of the 2024 Formula 1 Sporting Regulations.

The following driver will use a new control electronics (CE) for the remainder of the competition:

The control electronics used by Pierre Gasly is the fourth (4) of two (2) new control electronics permitted for the 2024 Championship season and is not in compliance with Article 28.2 of the 2024 Formula 1 Sporting Regulations.

The PU elements were replaced without the approval of the FIA ​​Technical Delegate, which is not in accordance with Article 40.3 of the 2024 Formula 1 Sporting Regulations. Therefore, car number 10 should now be required to start the race from the pit lane, according to Article 40.9 of the 2024 Formula 1 Sporting Regulations.

On the other side of the paddock, Yuki Tsunoda’s drama unfolded during the third qualifying session when he hit the wall. Despite this setback, the quick and efficient work of the RB crew ensured that the car was repaired in time without any penalties for replacing parts. Tsunoda will therefore start from a more favourable 10th position on the grid, directly behind his team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.