Why was Logan Sargeant’s time cancelled in qualifying?
The Williams driver had one of his qualifying times canceled for exceeding track limits. The FIA accuses him of going beyond the limits at turn 27, but the actual infraction occurred a few meters further.
Logan Sargeant’s second qualifying session in Formula 1 was difficult. The American driver was unable to complete a single fast lap during Q1. During one of his attempts, he spun out at turn 20, narrowly avoiding hitting the wall.
On his another attempt, the man wearing number 2 completed the full lap and was credited with a time of 1 minute 29.721 seconds. But moments later, he falls back to the bottom of the rankings without a time. His engineer takes the radio to inform him that he exceeded track limits at turn 27. This statement is as surprising for the driver as it is for the spectators. Logan Sargeant himself asks how this is possible.
In truth, it’s not actually in turn 27 (the last one on the track). Indeed, if a driver goes off track in this curve, they hit the wall, the same thing happens if they try to cut it. So it’s a little further ahead.
An expensive mistake
If we look at the Williams onboard camera on this fast lap, we can see that the American driver crosses the white line separating the pit entry from the track, very close to the pit wall. In document « Director of Race’s Notes V2 », published by the FIA, it is stated that it is forbidden to pass through this area.
« Unless a force majeure event occurs (as recognized by the stewards), the document explains that crossing by any part of the tire, in any direction, of the painted area between the pit lane entry and the track, by a driver, is prohibited ».
Logan Sargeant was not the only driver to have had a time invalidated for this infraction. Nico Hülkenberg, Lewis Hamilton, and Kevin Magnussen also got caught. If Logan Sargeant hadn’t made this mistake, he would have managed to make it to Q2, as Yuki Tsunoda, who finished 16th, recorded a time of 1:29:939, and Valtteri Bottas, who finished 15th in Q1, recorded a time of 1:29.929.
With a single lap time recorded in over 2 minutes and 08 seconds, the American driver found himself outside the 107% rule zone to participate in the race. However, he was saved by the race commissioners and will therefore be starting the 2023 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix F1.
