F1 stewards slap driver with most pointless penalty ever at Spanish Grand Prix
It is one of the strangest penalties of recent time
Formula 1 aficionados were quick to mock the Spanish Grand Prix stewards after Logan Sargeant received a grid penalty that seemed rather pointless.
Sargeant came under scrutiny from the stewards for allegedly blocking Lance Stroll during the initial qualifying round. The verdict was that the American had indeed impeded Stroll, resulting in a three-place grid drop "for the next race in which the driver participates".
But as numerous social media users highlighted, the punishment was essentially meaningless. Given that Sargeant had qualified at the back of the pack in 20th place, the grid penalty wouldn't affect his starting position at all.
Fans couldn't help but make light of the situation, with one quipping, "That's going to hurt! " Another chimed in with a tongue-in-cheek remark: "Logan is immune to grid penalties," and yet another pondered, "What's the point of a place penalty if you're already last?"
Post-qualifying, Sargeant expressed disappointment over an upgrade that didn't perform as hoped. He said: "Unfortunately, the cars weren't the same spec in the end. The floors that we've brought are underperforming which is a shame."
He continued, detailing the team's efforts: "We've been working hard all weekend by trying to change things to get the floors to work as they should. It was slightly better in qualifying than it was in FP3. We need to understand the problem and get it fixed for the future. It's not great for me or the team and none of us want to be in this position. We'll keep fighting no matter the situation."
Sargeant has yet to out-qualify his teammate Alex Albon in any of the 10 races this season, and despite Albon starting 19th in Barcelona, he remains optimistic about the team's progress.
Albon reflected on the qualifying session: "We knew that FP3 wouldn't be representative, although we finish qualifying a bit disappointed. The long corners at this track haven't suited us for the past few years, but the car felt good today and we've made a huge step compared to last year."
He added: "There was maybe a corner or two where I could've squeezed more out of the car, but it felt good overall, and I think highlights how strong the midfield is at this stage of the season. It's very close out there so we'll see what opportunities come our way tomorrow."
Meanwhile, Lando Norris snatched pole position, edging out Max Verstappen by a mere two-hundredths of a second. British drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell secured third and fourth places on the grid, showcasing a strong showing from the Brits.