Red Bull has been accused of breaching F1 rules after mechanics celebrated in the pit wall when Sergio Perez won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Sky Sports F1 hosts Karun Chandhok, Ted Kravitz and David Croft said Red Bull had breached the guidelines.
The reigning constructors’ champions may be in trouble after their good luck in Baku. Esteban Ocon still had to do his prevention and dove into the pits on the final lap as Red Bull engineers raced towards the wall.
This comes after FIA race director Niels Wittich cancelled celebrations ahead of the Australian Grand Prix. The rule was highlighted in the International Sporting Code and was reflected in the pre-race notes.
The regulation reads as follows: “Staff are prohibited at any time from fencing debris on pit walls. Any action through a team that violates this ban will be reported to the stewards. “
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The stage became even more hectic after photographers spotted themselves at the front of the pit lane when Ocon arrived. The pit wall rule was originally introduced in 2006, but has been damaged through groups to celebrate with their winning driver.
However, Wittich has played a key role in existing regulations back on the agenda, and last year’s jewelry ban also reinforced previous guidelines. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner defended his team after the race and claimed no regulations had been breached.
He told Sky Sports F1: “I think the regulations are quite transparent and that’s something the team boss discussed with the mechanics before the race. Everyone had their feet in contact with the concrete wall. I think you’ll notice they were where they were. “
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But enthusiasts were quick to ask race officials to punish Red Bull for the main mistake. Twitter user @checkthetea explained: “Red Bull in the pit wall and the photographers in the pit lane, this game is not serious. Red Bull will be punished for that.
@fiona68510667 posted: “Red Bull doesn’t have to stick to the rules related to the birthday party on the pit wall like everyone else!”
@SJ_Barrack wrote: “Red Bull mechanics are breaking a very transparent new rule of not climbing the pit wall and were almost run over by Ocon. Throw the e-book at them.
Perez secured the race lead after a safety pit prevented him from overtaking Verstappen. Perez achieved the speed and secured a comfortable victory to close the hole to just six points in the drivers’ championship.