• German Grand Prix

Buemi loses qualifying time

ESPNF1 Staff
July 23, 2011 « Improved Renault targeting points | »
Sebastien Buemi will still be allowed to participate in the race © Sutton Images
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Sebastien Buemi has been excluded from qualifying for the German Grand Prix for a fuel irregularity.

The issue relates to the fuel sample taken from Buemi's car following qualifying. It is matched against a reference fuel that has to be submitted ahead of the weekend, and in Buemi's case there was too great a difference in the gas chromatography between the two samples; in essence, his qualifying fuel did not match the reference fuel when the fuel mixture was broken down.

Buemi had initially qualified 16th, and will still be allowed to race as long as his Toro Rosso team decide not to appeal the verdict, but will have to start from the back of the grid or the pit lane. As a result everyone from Buemi's team-mate Jaime Alguersuari back will move up one place on the grid.

Toro Rosso believe the irregularity is the result of a fuel system change after Friday practice, and said it thought the fuel was contaminated by a new part.

"During Friday's FP1, Buemi's car had a fuel pressure problem, which then got worse at the start of FP2 which is why he did not do a timed lap in that session," a Toro Rosso statement read. "After FP2 the entire fuel system on his car was changed. When the fuel sample was taken from his car after qualifying, it did not match the one provided to the FIA prior to the start of the season. The team believes that some part of the new fuel system contained a chemical that contaminated the fuel and caused the non-conformity."

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