Stewards make decision on Sainz after Aston Martin protest: P7 or last row?

At the end of qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix, Aston Martin lodged a protest against the result. The team of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll believed that the Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz should not have continued in the qualifying session after coming to a halt. The stewards disagreed and ruled in Sainz's favour.

Aston Martin invoked Article 39.6 of the FIA's sporting regulations. This states the following: "A driver whose car stops on the track during qualifying may not take part in the rest of the session." Sainz had hit the wall, causing a red flag, but he was able to drive back to his pit box under his own power. Equipped with a new front wing, he was able to take part in Q2 and Q3, in which he recorded a time good enough for seventh place. After hours of deliberation, the stewards decided to reject Aston Martin's appeal. The main reason was that Sainz did not need help from the marshals to get back on track and to his pit box.