F1 sprint disqualification avoided after strange mistaken identity

Esteban Ocon has not been disqualified from the Canadian Grand Prix sprint after being investigated for a breach of the regulations on the left rear tyre of his car.

The Haas driver was summoned to the stewards after it was reported that air was let out of the tyre in question on the grid, having previously been checked and cleared, according to FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer.

However, it transpired that it was merely a bizarre misunderstanding, with the official FIA decision document confirming as much.

"The Stewards heard from the team Sporting Director, team Engineer, the FIA Technical Delegate and the Grid Scrutineer assigned to Car 31, and reviewed video evidence from Car 11 (the car behind Car 31 on the grid), and from the FIA grid camera for position 14 (the starting position for Car 31).

"The Stewards also inspected the tyre blanket and tyre pressure gauge from Car 31. This video evidence proved conclusively that there was no breach of the regulations, in that there was no contact with the tyre that would have resulted in pressure being released.

"The report received was based on a visual report from the Scrutineer who witnessed a crew member of Car 31 holding what appeared to be an air hose connected to the tyre, but was in fact the electrical cable for the tyre blanket. The cable was almost identical in appearance to the air hose and could easily have been mistaken for the latter."

Therefore, no further action was taken, and the Frenchman was able to keep his P13 finish for the one-third distance race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.