The changing weather conditions at the start of the 2024 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix meant that the teams did not know very well which tires to take to the track with. In the first of the free practice sessions, the best times were set with the softer dry rubber after the respite provided by the storm, and it seemed that it would be the same at the beginning of the second practice.
However, at Ferrari they divided their strategies, since they jumped onto the asphalt of the Gilles-Villeneuve Circuit with the medium compound with Carlos Sainz and the intermediate ones with Charles Leclerc. That led the FIA to take action on the matter, because The Monegasque violated article 30.5 l) of the sporting regulations of the international federation because the session was not declared wet.
Waiting for what could happen to him, with many options of the regulatory body endorsing a financial sanction for the entire Prancing Horse, The commissioners called the protagonist of the action to testify at 6:30 p.m. local time00:30 hours on Saturday in Spain due to the difference with respect to Canada.
Finally, after listening to the explanations of those involved, it was concluded that they deserved a fine of 5,000 euros, because they ran with an intermediate tire when the session was not declared wet: “Car 16 left the pits with intermediate tires at the beginning of the session even though the track had not been declared wet, and returned to the pitlane after one lap.
“This constitutes a violation of article 30.5 l), which only allows the use of intermediate or rain tires after the track has been declared wet by the race director,” the statement read.
This is something quite curious, since in Maranello they thought it was a good idea to go out with the mixed conditions tires to be prepared in case the rain arrived suddenly, as it later happened and which forced the entire grid to ride those rubber bands. Thanks to this, Fernando Alonso finished the day at the top of the classification with a time of 1:15.810, ahead of George Russell and Lance Stroll, while Charles Leclerc, curiously, was fourth, but not with the soft ones, but with the medium ones.
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