Nico Rosberg has been demoted to third position after being handed a ten-second time penalty after a post-race investigation. The German originally finished in second position, ahead of Max Verstappen and behind his teammate, Lewis Hamilton.
The ten-second time penalty was for a violation of the sport’s new radio clampdown regulations during the race. Part way through the race, Rosberg’s car was stuck in gear and he was having difficulty shifting up or down. To correct the gearbox issue, Mercedes discussed the issue with Rosberg, via team radio. The FIA found that the team’s radio message violated the FIA’s radio clampdown regulations which were developed at the start of the season.
The stewards investigated the incident after the race and decided to penalize Rosberg. The stewards decided the team was allowed to ask for assistance with the issue because it impacted the performance and the health of the car. However, after further investigation into the radio messages, the stewards felt that the team assisted Rosberg more than was required or permitted by the regulations.
“In the final laps, he was stuck in seventh gear, which was clearly a critical problem that would have resulted in failure,” explained Toto Wolff, the head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport. “Our understanding of the rules is that this kind of message is allowed – it’s not the kind of driver coaching the rules were designed to prevent – so we gave him the necessary information and he did a great job to hold his position and bring the car home.”
The radio clampdown regulations were designed to enforce the FIA’s rules that state that the driver must drive the car unaided. The FIA banned certain messages to prevent driver coaching, but still allow the teams to relay important safety information. Team bosses were reported told ahead of time that the radio regulations will be strictly enforced from the British Grand Prix onward, as the teams have now had a chance to adjust to the new restrictions.
The decision to penalize Nico Rosberg and Mercedes has now set a precedent for future violations, meaning that the FIA will likely penalize the drivers to the same extent if they are found to be in violation of the regulations.
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FIA Increases Radio Ban
