Williams’ Alex Albon was dropped to the back of the Australian GP grid because there was not enough fuel in his car to provide a test sample. Photo: Twitter @WilliamsRacing
Australian Grand Prix: Alex Albon booted to the back of grid
Williams’ Alex Albon was dropped to the back of the Australian GP grid because there was not enough fuel in his car to provide a test sample.
Williams’ Alex Albon was dropped to the back of the Australian GP grid because there was not enough fuel in his car to provide a test sample. Photo: Twitter @WilliamsRacing
Alex Albon was dropped to the back of the grid for the Australian Grand Prix because there was not enough fuel in his Williams to provide a test sample after Saturday qualifying, officials said.
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The F1 website reported that Albon “stopped out on track after dropping out of Q1” and that Williams “were later unable to provide the required 1.0-litre fuel sample to the FIA.”
Alex Albon finished with the 16th best time in the first qualifying run, too slow to progress to the last two sessions.
He was already facing a three-place grid penalty for his crash with Lance Stroll in the previous race in Saudi Arabia.
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That meant the decision to scrub out the time he recorded effectively cost him just one grid place.
“The stewards therefore disqualified the Thai driver from the results of qualifying – although he will be allowed to start Sunday’s race,” said the website.
The penalty also lifted Stroll out of last place on the grid.
After qualifying last, the Canadian was then handed a three-place penalty for colliding with the other Williams, driven by Nicholas Latifi, on Saturday.
Updated grid for Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix after qualifying:
Front row
Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari)
Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull)
2nd row
Sergio Perez (MEX/Red Bull)
Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren)
3rd row
Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes)
George Russell (GBR/Mercedes)
4th row
Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/McLaren)
Esteban Ocon (FRA/Alpine)
5th row
Carlos Sainz (ESP/Ferrari)
Fernando Alonso (ESP/Alpine)
6th row
Pierre Gasly (FRA/AlphaTauri)
Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Alfa Romeo)
7th row
Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/AlphaTauri)
Zhou Guanyu (CHN/Alfa Romeo)
8th row
Mick Schumacher (GER/Haas)
Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas)
9th row
Sebastian Vettel (GER/Aston Martin)
Nicholas Latifi (CAN/Williams)
10th row
Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin)
Alexander Albon (THA/Williams)
