An issue with the way that the regulations have been written caused some confusion regarding the Hungarian Grand Prix grid. Multiple drivers within the top ten were at risk of starting from the rear of the grid for violating the 107% rule during qualifying.
The 107% rule is a regulation designed to stop slow cars from taking part in the race. Racing Clothesline discussed the rule at the Chinese Grand Prix and whether it was a necessary rule in the sport, after Lewis Hamilton and Pascal Wehrlein failed to comply with the rule. The current regulations say that any driver who fails to comply with the rule will either not be allowed to race or will start the race at the rear of the grid.
Weather conditions during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix created a confusing situation for the stewards. Because the first qualifying session was so wet, many drivers failed the meet 107% requirement. All of the drivers that didn’t advance into Q2 failed to comply with the 107% rule and so did an additional five drivers. As a result of failing to comply with the 107% rule, Daniel Ricciardo, Max Verstappen, Nico Hülkenberg, Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas were placed under investigation by the stewards and faced potentially losing their qualifying positions.
The 107% rule was written using the logic that the slowest cars in qualifying would never make it past Q1, meaning that a situation like this was not even considered. The 107% rule is usually enforced, although it is rarely enforced to the extent that drivers are not allowed to race in the race.
This conflict within the regulations has exposed a serious flaw in the regulations and created a headache for the stewards. Nearly five hours after the conclusion of qualifying in Hungary, the stewards decided not to enforce the 107% rule on any driver that made beyond Q1. This means that all five of the drivers in question will be allowed to start the race and maintain their current grid positions.
In addition, the drivers who didn’t make it past Q1 are also permitted to race.
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