Vettel fined by FIA for weigh-scale incident

Sebastian Vettel has been fined 25,000 Euros and reprimanded by the FIA for allegedly ‘destroying’ the weighing scale, used to measure the weight of the cars, during Q2. The Ferrari driver had not complied with stewards’ instructions during the same.

He was pulled up after qualifying ended and learned of his fate late last night.

The conditions in Brazil were becoming unpredictable as some parts of the track experienced rain and others did not. Vettel and Ferrari were desperate to get in a flying lap before the rain arrived in a bid to not use the inters or wets.

It is mandatory for all cars to be weighed after qualifying sessions and the stewards instructed Vettel to do the same but failed to remove the cone blocking his way to the scale. The German knocked it down, desperate to get it over with.

He was then frantically waving his hands to get to his pit garage to change his tyres and go on to the track but the steward in front of him did not allow him to do so. Vettel also failed to turn off his engine during the weigh-in process.

Leaving the engine on got him into trouble as FIA technical delegate, Jo Bauer, who referred the matter to the stewards, said Vettel had “refused to turn off the engine” as is required making it “difficult to get a stable result”. Check the video here:

Vettel was then required to give his side of the incident to the panel of stewards. And it was after hearing his explanation, and reviewing telemetry and video evidence, that they decided to hand the four-time world champion a 25,000 Euro fine.

He was also given a first reprimand of the season for “failing to follow the instructions of the relevant officials for the safe and orderly conduct of the event”.