Sebastian Vettel disqualified from Hungarian GP, Lewis Hamilton promoted to second

Sebastian Vettel tijdens de persconferentie in Hongarije. — Photo: © LAT Images

Hungarian Grand Prix

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Vettel disqualified from Hungarian GP, Hamilton promoted to second

Ian Parkes

Sunday 1 August 2021 22:07 Updated: 23:09

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Sebastian Vettel has been disqualified from the Hungarian Grand Prix after the FIA was unable to take an adequate fuel sample from his Aston Martin at the end of the race.

Vettel had finished second behind Alpine's Esteban Ocon after 70 gruelling laps at the Hungaroring, his second runner-up berth this season.

The four-time F1 champion, however, was forced to stop on track at the entry to turn 12 on the cool-down lap, seemingly as he did not have enough fuel in his AMR21 to make it back to the pits.

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Post-race, the FIA is required to take a one-litre sample of fuel from a competitor's car but in Vettel's case, only 0.3-litres was retrieved.

Following a stewards' hearing, a report read: "After the race it was not possible to take a 1.0 litre sample of fuel from car 5.

"The team was given several opportunities to attempt to remove the required amount of fuel from the tank, however it was only possible to pump 0.3 litres out.

"During the hearing in [the] presence of the FIA technical delegate and the FIA technical director the team principal of Aston Martin stated that there must be 1.44 litres left in the tank, but they are not able to get it out.

"This figure is calculated using the FFM or injector model. Given this situation, car No. 5 is not in compliance with the requirements of Art. 6.6 FIA technical regulations.

"According to Art. 6.6.2 competitors must ensure that a 1.0-litre sample of fuel may be taken from the car at any time.

"The procedure was followed however the 1.0-litre sample of fuel was unable to be taken.

"The stewards determine to apply the standard penalty for technical infringements. Therefore they took into account, that it shall be no defence to claim that no performance advantage was obtained."

The decision promotes Lewis Hamilton into second place and Max Verstappen up to ninth, and helping to increase the Mercedes driver's advantage over his Red Bull rival to eight points at the top of the standings whereas originally it had stood at six.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz is now promoted to third and his second podium this season with the Scuderia.

Fernando Alonso moves up to fourth, with AlphaTauri duo Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda fifth and sixth, followed by Williams pair Nicholas Latifi and George Williams in seventh and eighth.

Behind Verstappen, Kimi Raikkonen now claims only Alfa Romeo's third point of the season and his second from finishing 10th.