Sunday, August 1, 2021 19:00 – Last update: 19:18
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Esteban Ocon has yet to answer to the stewards after his first ever win in Formula 1. The Frenchman did not enter the pit lane after the race, but passed the start/finish again. That was probably a mistake by Ocon, but that mistake may still have a tail.
The Alpine driver stunted in the Hungarian Grand Prix by winning the crazy race on the Hungaroring. With that he surprised friend and foe and took full advantage of the chaos in the first corner after the start. This included Valtteri Bottas, Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, Lance Stroll and Sergio Pérez, while also Max Verstappen saw his race ruined. The Dutchman’s RB16B was so badly damaged that he was ultimately unable to get further than tenth place.
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Ocon must report to stewards
So it was a significantly better afternoon for Ocon, as he won a Formula 1 race for the first time in his career. The winner of a race always parks his car between the numbers two and three at the appropriate signs. In Hungary these signs were in the pit lane, which is usually the case, but Ocon crossed the start/finish line one more time. At some races the top 3 park their cars there, so maybe Ocon was just wrong and thought the signs were ready for start/finish now too. Either way, the Frenchman has to face the stewards for not following the post-race procedure.
Different drivers on the mat
In addition to Ocon, Sebastian Vettel, who came in second at the Hungaroring, Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll and Valtteri Bottas report to the stewards. Those drivers did not adhere to pre-race procedures. It is possible that (a number of) drivers will be penalized for not complying with the rules, which could theoretically change the outcome of the Hungarian Grand Prix. Although it is also obvious that the drivers will get away with a warning, fine or grid penalty for the next race. The latter already applies to Bottas, who has received a five-place grid penalty for causing the chaos in the first corner for the first race after the summer break, which will be held at Spa in Belgium.
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