Aston Martin’s protest against the results of the qualifying for the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix was rejected. The team lodged the protest after Carlos Sainz crashed during the session, but was still allowed to continue and advance to the next round. According to Article 39.6 of the Formula 1 Sporting Regulations, a driver whose car stops on track during qualifying should not be allowed to participate further. However, the stewards explained that in the past, teams and the FIA have not strictly enforced this rule. They stated that as long as the car can be restarted within a reasonable time without external assistance, it is usually allowed to continue. Aston argued that Sainz’s car stopped for 1 minute and 17 seconds, which they considered too long. In the end, the stewards decided that the Race Control’s decision should stand, considering previous instances where cars were allowed to restart and continue despite stopping on track. They also noted that the messaging system used by Race Control did not indicate a decision regarding Article 39.6. Therefore, the stewards concluded that the Race Control’s decision was in line with previous practice and did not violate the regulations.
