The FIA has decided to clamp down on slow driving during qualifying for this weekend. To create space for their fast lap the drivers drove very slowly in turn 9 and 10. This caused quite some traffic jams last week and despite the stricter rules, it happened again this Saturday.
Not only a grid penalty for Vettel
This time Fernando Alonso was the biggest victim. He was hampered in his fast lap by Sebastian Vettel and saw a possible top ten ranking slip away. Vettel was given a penalty point on his license and will be put back three places on the starting grid for Sunday's race.
Vettel was in the way of Alonso when he drove in a three-car train before setting a fast lap of his own. Valtteri Bottas and Carlos Sainz, who were in a similar situation, were not penalised for this, but the FIA has concluded that Vettel was apparently more in the way of his rival.