Sauber F1 driver receives 20-place grid penalty for Azerbaijan GP

Zhou Guanyu has been handed a 20-place grid penalty for the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The development comes after he introduced unauthorised power unit components, which is a breach of Article 28.2 of the FIA ​​Formula 1 Sporting Regulations. As a result, the Sauber driver will start from the back of the grid, regardless of his qualifying results.

The penalty, resulting from the use of a third Energy Store (ES) and a third Control Electronics (CE), is a major blow to both Guanyu and the Sauber team, which has already struggled this season. According to the stewards’ decision documentation, “any unauthorised component change beyond two instances will result in a 10-place grid penalty”, leading to a total of 20 places.

The judges’ official documentation clearly described the violation:

“Fact: The following drive unit components were used:
“3. Energy Storage (ES)
“3. Control Electronics (CE)

“Infringement: Breach of Article 28.2 of the FIA ​​Formula One Sporting Regulations.

“Decision: You are required to start the race from the back of the starting grid.

“Reason: The penalty is applied in accordance with Article 28.3. The use of each additional element in this case incurs a penalty of 10 starting places, so a cumulative penalty of 20 places. Article 42.3 d) of the FIA ​​Formula 1 Sporting Regulations states that a driver who has accumulated more than 15 cumulative grid position penalties must start from the back of the grid.

“Competitors are reminded that they have the right to appeal against certain decisions of the Stewards, in accordance with Article 15 of the FIA ​​International Sporting Code and Chapter 4 of the FIA ​​Judicial and Disciplinary Regulations, within the applicable deadlines.”

The penalty is particularly damaging given Sauber’s current position. The team, which features drivers Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas, has yet to score any points this season, leaving them bottom of the constructors’ championship. Starting at the back further complicates Sauber’s chances of securing a competitive position and scoring points in Azerbaijan.

1. Max Verstappen – 303 points
2. Lando Norris – 241 points
3. Charles Leclerc – 217 points
4. Oscar Piastri – 197 points
5. Carlos Sainz – 184 points
6. Lewis Hamilton – 164 points
7. Sergio Perez – 143 points
8. George Russell – 128 points
9. Fernando Alonso – 50 points
10. Lance Stroll – 24 points
11. Nico Hulkenberg – 22 points
12. Yuki Tsunoda – 22 points
13. Daniel Ricciardo – 12 points
14. Pierre Gasly – 8 points
15. Oliver Bearman – 6 points
16. Kevin Magnussen – 6 points
17. Alex Albon – 6 points
18. Esteban Ocon – 5 points
19. Zhou Guanyu – 0 points
20. Logan Sargeant – 0 points
21. Franco Colapinto – 0 points
22. Valtteri Bottas – 0 points

1. Red Bull Racing – 446 points
2. McLaren – 438 points
3. Ferrari – 407 points
4. Mercedes – 292 points
5. Aston Martin – 74 points
6. VCARB – 34 points
7. Haas – 28 points
8. Alpine – 13 points
9. Williams – 6 points
10. Sauber – 0 points