The Williams team was fined after an incident during qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix. A mechanic was even almost hit in a situation deemed dangerous by the stewards.
Qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix brought its share of tensions, including in the pit lane. After the session, the race stewards summoned Alex Albon to examine an incident also involving young Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad.
The incident occurred during Q2. As Albon was returning to his pit spot, his teammate Carlos Sainz was stationary in front of the Williams garage. To reach his position, the Thai driver had to go around his teammate’s car, a maneuver that had unexpected consequences.
By moving over, Albon momentarily obstructed Arvid Lindblad’s access to his own pit box. A situation that could have turned out much worse according to the stewards’ observations.
A mechanic narrowly escapes an accident
In their official report, the stewards highlighted that Lindblad had been forced to alter his trajectory to avoid the Williams. More concerning still, this situation caused a moment of great fright in the pit lane.
According to the investigation’s conclusions, the Racing Bulls driver ” narrowly avoided running over the foot” of a mechanic who was working around Alex Albon’s car. This element was considered an aggravating factor due to the obvious risks to personnel safety.
Even though no injuries were reported, the sporting authorities deemed that the incident could have had much more serious consequences in an environment where mechanics work just a few centimeters from moving cars.
Read more George Russell completely lost: the Mercedes driver no longer understands his drop in performance
Williams admits its mistake
Before the stewards, Williams did not seek to dispute the facts. The British team admitted that the situation could have been managed more appropriately to avoid any unnecessary risk in the pit lane.
This admission, however, helped avoid a heavier penalty. The stewards chose to sanction the team with a fine of 5,000 euros, while also issuing an official warning regarding the management of the incident.
The report specifies that the penalty primarily targets the safety aspect of the matter, with the stewards considering that the situation represented a potential danger for team members present in the working area.
Audi also called to order
Williams was not the only team to attract the stewards’ attention during this qualifying session. Audi also received a warning after an incident involving Nico Hülkenberg and Charles Leclerc in the Monaco tunnel.
The German reportedly impeded the Ferrari driver while he was on a cool-down lap. However, the investigation revealed that Hülkenberg had received incorrect information from his team that the track was clear behind him.
From a sporting perspective, Alex Albon ultimately secured 11th place on the grid, just ahead of Carlos Sainz. Arvid Lindblad, involved in the incident, will start from 15th position in the Monaco Grand Prix.
Read more Kim Kardashian is in Monaco to support Lewis Hamilton: a major first!