Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon were both forced to run new gearbox parts during Friday's FP1 and FP2 sessions ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix. The FIA have confirmed that Perez (Red Bull) and Ocon (Alpine) have changed an element of their gearbox assembly for the first of four permitted occasions this season, as per the new 2022 regulations. Neither driver will be handed a grid penalty for the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix, as would have been the case under the 2021 regulations.
How the new gearbox rules work
Ahead of the 2022 season, the rules regarding gearbox changes were tweaked , and differ from what most fans are used to. The amended rules enforce a four casing and cassette limit on the cars taking part in the championship. This means a driver is only permitted four 'gearboxes' for the season, and can pick and choose from that pool of four to get through the season. Once a driver requires a gearbox in excess of that four-component rule, they will receive a five-place grid penalty, with the same drop being imposed for every subsequent gearbox introduction.
The same applies for gearbox components
The same limit has been imposed on the components within the gearbox cassette itself, allowing drivers to change them four times over the course of the season. Once a driver requires a fifth change of their gearbox components, they will receive a five-place grid penalty.
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