Alex Albon has been disqualified from the Dutch Grand Prix qualifying results after his Williams car failed a legality check concerning its floor.
The Anglo-Thai driver had a strong performance, advancing to Q3 and securing eighth place on the grid with his upgraded Williams FW46. However, post-session scrutineering revealed that the floor of his car did not meet the regulatory specifications.
The FIA Stewards confirmed that Albon’s car did not comply with Article 3.5.1 a) of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations, which stipulates the acceptable dimensions for the car’s floor. Despite the team’s contention that their measurements differed from those conducted by the FIA, the Stewards upheld the FIA’s measurements taken in Parc Ferme, leading to Albon’s exclusion from the results.
“The Stewards reviewed inputs from team representatives, the FIA Technical Delegate, and the FIA Scrutineer, and determined that the car’s floor exceeded the regulatory volume,” the Stewards’ statement read. “The standard penalty for this infringement is disqualification.”
Albon’s disqualification adds to Williams’ woes this weekend. His teammate, Logan Sargeant, suffered a significant crash during FP3, which prevented him from participating in qualifying. Consequently, both Williams cars will now start from the back of the grid.
The fallout from Albon’s disqualification promotes Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll to eighth place, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly to ninth, and benefits Carlos Sainz, who had been an unexpected elimination in Q2. Additionally, Lewis Hamilton, originally set to start 15th but penalized for impeding Sergio Perez, will now begin the race from 14th.
