FIA hands down verdict following double Sprint Qualifying investigation

Both drivers were referred to the stewards after being placed under investigation for an alleged breach of Article 12.2.1.i of the FIA International Sporting Code, which covers driving unnecessarily slowly during qualifying.

Both Lindblad and Albon escaped with a warning, with the stewards issuing a detailed explanation as to why they decided against imposing a more severe penalty.

As for Lindblad, the Racing Bulls driver explained that he had been focused on managing energy and making switch changes during the lap while also trying to optimise the car's qualifying procedures. He also pointed out that he allowed three cars to pass before attempting to create a gap, but admitted he only realised too late that he had exceeded the prescribed maximum time and accepted that he could have managed the lap more effectively.

As for Albon, the Williams driver admitted that Silverstone's layout made energy harvesting particularly demanding and explained that his car was energy-limited during the lap, affecting his throttle application. He added that he tried to recover the required delta towards the end of the lap, but realised too late that he had exceeded the maximum time and accepted that part of the incident came down to human error.

Lindblad had enjoyed another impressive session by progressing all the way to SQ3 and securing 10th on the grid, while Albon endured a far more difficult afternoon. The Williams driver was eliminated in SQ2 after qualifying 16th, finishing behind teammate Carlos Sainz.