Formula 1 News: FIA fine Ferrari for Friday tire infringement

Ferrari has been hit with a €5000 fine for sending Charles Leclerc out on Intermediate Rain tires before the track was declared wet.

Changeable weather was a feature of Friday practice in Montreal, the FP2 session beginning with a greasy track which blurred the line between intermediate and dry tires.

Leclerc had the inters fitted for his run on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve of the session, though Ferrari sent him out before the track was declared wet, which is needed to permit the use of wet tires.

The stewards therefore summoned Leclerc to speak with them after the session over a very uncommon infringement, deciding on a €5000 fine for Ferrari for the regulatory breach.

“The stewards heard from the team representative and reviewed video evidence,” their report began.

“Car 16 left the pit lane on intermediate tires at the beginning of the session despite the fact that the track had not been declared wet and returned to the pits after one lap.

“This constitutes a breach of Art 30.5 l) which only permits the use of intermediate or wet weather tires after the track has been declared wet by the race director.”

The weather conditions meant that the timings screen for both FP1 and FP2 was not fully representative, though Ferrari will have been encouraged to see both Carlos Sainz and Leclerc in the top three for FP1, while Leclerc was the highest-placed Ferrari in FP2 in P4.