Sabato cinese sott’analisi: Protesta di Aston Martin respinto

15:45 Uhr
End of workday

Since we finally have a verdict and therefore an official result, we are also ending our ticker for today at this point. In Shanghai, it is slowly approaching 22:00 Uhr now.

The race start is tomorrow at 09:00 Uhr CEST, and we will be ready with a new ticker issue to prepare you for the Chinese Grand Prix.

Enjoy our big video analysis now and see you tomorrow!

15:36 Uhr
Detailed justification

Specifically, the race stewards base their decision on the fact that there have been cases in the past where cars stopped for a longer period of time but were able to continue afterwards.

In none of these cases did other teams have a problem, so there is no reason to act differently in the Sainz situation. The key point is that Sainz was able to restart without external assistance.

Even the official message on the FIA monitor stating that Sainz had stopped was not a reason to exclude him from participating in the qualifying session. There was a comparable example in Canada in 2022 with Alexander Albon.

In short: Sainz is allowed to keep his seventh place on the grid and the result is now official.

15:30 Uhr
Justification

No wonder the decision took so long. The race stewards sent a document that is a total of 3 pages long. In essence, the protest was rejected because Sainz was able to continue without external assistance.

You can find the complete FIA document here!

15:25 Uhr
Aston Martin protest rejected!

The protest from Aston Martin has been rejected! More to come from us shortly.

15:20 Uhr
Sainz: Saturday is “a bit too much”

The Spanish driver finds the new sprint format this year only marginally better. “Friday is better. Saturday is hectic, really hectic,” he emphasizes, suggesting that improvements may be needed.

As a driver, you race the sprint, then fulfill media obligations, go straight to qualifying, and then have to face the press again. In between sessions, drivers need “more time,” according to Sainz, who believes that Saturday is a bit too much. Some fine-tuning may be necessary.

For us in the media, it’s no different than for the drivers. Our workload and stress increase when sprint and qualifying are held on the same day.

15:08 Uhr
“Painted” Track: Teams and Pirelli Caught Off Guard

Neither the teams nor tire supplier Pirelli were aware prior to arriving at the Formula 1 race in China this weekend that the Shanghai track had a “painted” surface.

It turned out that the surface was actually a liquid bitumen treatment applied to the asphalt last year to reduce wear on the old asphalt.

Find out why it was a problem that teams and Pirelli were not informed about this!

15:00 Uhr
Almost five hours…

…have passed since the end of qualifying. Due to the Aston Martin protest, there is still no official final result. Unfortunately, we cannot change that and must continue to wait for the decision of the race stewards.

14:48 Uhr
Rosberg criticizes Hamilton: “To me, it’s an excuse”

Speaking of Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton is facing criticism from his former Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg for his mistake in Turn 14. “That was a mistake that a seven-time world champion shouldn’t normally make,” he says on Sky.

“He was on a super lap. He was actually safe and he knows that the wind is coming from behind,” Rosberg emphasizes. However, Hamilton braked too late and according to Rosberg “completely messed up.” Rosberg’s verdict: “That was really unfortunate.”

When asked about his former colleague’s criticism, Hamilton admits that the mistake was not the team’s fault. “I don’t think it was my best qualifying lap.”

You can find the complete statements from Rosberg and Hamilton here!