Williams excluded from F1 Singapore GP qualifying

Williams Formula 1 drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz have been disqualified from the Singapore Grand Prix qualifying session for a DRS technical infringement.

Albon and Sainz qualified 12th and 13th respectively at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, but a breach of F1's technical regulations was spotted in parc ferme by FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer following the session.

The stewards have now ruled that both cars have been disqualified from the qualifying session, though they will be permitted to start the race from the back row of the grid.

“During post-qualifying scrutineering, the rear wing of the car was found to be noncompliant with the Technical Regulations,” the FIA report read on each case for Albon and Sainz. “The uppermost rear wing element adjustable positions were checked. The DRS in the state of deployment exceeded the maximum limit of 85mm on both sides of the rear wing outer area.

“At the hearing, the Competitor admitted that, although their own measurement prior to the qualifying had shown the component to be within tolerance, the measurement subsequently conducted by the appointed FIA Officials revealed a larger gap than permitted and therefore the rear wing did not conform with the required dimension.

“The Competitor did not contest the measurement procedure, the methodology, or the accuracy of the measuring equipment used by FIA. The Competitor fully accepted the results of the FIA measurement and acknowledged that the rear wing fitted to the car did not comply with the requirements of the Technical Regulations.

“Accordingly, the standard penalty applicable to technical infringements is imposed.”

Alexander Albon, Williams

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / LAT Images via Getty Images

There was a precedent for such a breach with both Haas cars at the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix, which also led to them being disqualified from the qualifying session and demoted to the back of the grid.

Following the disqualification announcement, Williams team principal James Vowles stated the team will review its procedures and reaffirmed it wasn’t trying to seek a performance edge.

“This is bitterly disappointing for the team and we are urgently investigating how this happened,” Vowles said in a team statement.

“At no point were we seeking a performance advantage and the rear wings had passed our own checks earlier in the day, but there is only one measurement that matters and we fully accept the FIA ruling.

“We have a car capable of scoring points here this weekend and will do everything we can to fight from the back of the grid tomorrow, and will immediately review our processes to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Additional reporting by Filip Cleeren