Albon, Latifi hit with grid penalties after gearbox change
Alexander Albon and Nicholas Latifi will both take a five place grid penalty for Sunday’s Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix after gearbox changes following qualifying.

Albon had been due to start the race in Sochi from 10th on the grid, but will now drop back to 15th as a result of the sanction, while Latifi will fall from 19th to 20th.
FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer confirmed in his pre-race report that both Red Bull and Williams had requested the gearbox changes on Saturday night.
“The gearbox has been replaced with the approval of the FIA technical delegate following a written request from the team concerned (requested on 26 September 2020 at 19:25hrs), this being in accordance with Article 34.2 of the 2020 Formula One Sporting Regulations,” a report from Bauer read regarding Albon.
“The gearbox change was before the six consecutive Events expired. Therefore this is not in compliance with Article 23.5a of the 2020 Formula One Sporting Regulations and I am referring this matter to the stewards for their consideration.”
Teams are required to make each car’s gearbox last six races, but are permitted to fit a fresh one should the driver fail to finish the prior event.
The ruling comes as another blow to Albon, who had been left puzzled by his lack of pace during qualifying as he finished over a second slower than team-mate Max Verstappen.
“It didn’t feel terrible in Q1 and Q2, and it just seemed like people around made a jump,” Albon said.
“I didn’t really feel like I had much left to be honest. A bit of head-scratching going on, because yeah, the laps I did didn’t feel terrible.
“Of course there are still in places a couple of tenths to find here and there. But yeah, obviously the gap is quite big.”
Albon’s penalty means that Charles Leclerc, Daniil Kvyat, Lance Stroll, George Russell and Sebastian Vettel each gain a position on the grid.
Latifi’s sanction ensures that Kimi Raikkonen will not line up at the back of the field, moving up a place to 19th, as he prepares to tie Rubens Barrichello’s record for the most F1 starts on Sunday.
Read Also:

Previous article
FIA tightens podium rules after Hamilton’s Breonna Taylor protest
Next article
Ricciardo: Making Renault "uncomfortable" key to Sochi form

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Event | Russian GP |
Sub-event | Race |
Drivers | Nicholas Latifi , Alex Albon |
Author | Luke Smith |
Albon, Latifi hit with grid penalties after gearbox change
Trending
The Silver Arrows Story: Mercedes W09
Scuderia Ferrari Filming Day Backstage Footage
Back to Work | Valtteri Bottas' 2021 Seat Fit
F1 Explained | Mercedes Power Unit
The pointed note that starts Ferrari's Leclerc vs Sainz era
Ferrari is starting its post-Sebastian Vettel age by welcoming Carlos Sainz in alongside Charles Leclerc. But while Sainz has a tough challenge to match his new teammate, Ferrari is also sending a message that previous intra-team spats must end
The mantra Ocon must follow to challenge Alonso at Alpine
OPINION: It's been an uneasy ride for Esteban Ocon since his F1 comeback - and fresh challenges lie in wait as he's joined by double world champion Fernando Alonso in the newly rebranded Alpine team. STUART CODLING sets out a roadmap to success…
Why Haas is willing to sacrifice its 2021 F1 season
Every Formula 1 team is facing the same difficult decision this season: how do you split precious aero development time between the current car and the all-new 2022 project?
The big questions of F1 2021 - Karun Chandhok
After an unprecedented season last year, there are plenty of questions and storylines for the upcoming Formula 1 campaign. Sky Sports F1 pundit Karun Chandhok gives his verdict.
How McLaren F1’s new investors have already made an impact
The deal McLaren concluded with MSP Sports Capital last year which will help the cash-strapped Formula 1 team pay for much-needed infrastructure upgrades, also points toward the future for F1 itself, says GP Racing's Stuart Codling.
Why Verstappen isn't interested in the hype game
In a pre-season where Red Bull has been unusually quiet, Max Verstappen has also been guarded about the team's fortunes in 2021. Even after trying the RB16B for the first time at Silverstone, the Dutchman was careful to manage expectations
The pros and cons of F1's 2021 rule changes
In the strategy for grand prix racing's future, 2021 represents a significant step towards the goal of closer racing and a more level playing field. That's the theory behind the latest raft of changes, but will they have the desired effect?
What Red Bull is trying to hide with its RB16B launch
Red Bull made no secret of the fact its 2021 F1 car is an evolution of its predecessor, but in keeping the same foundations while hiding some tightly-guarded updates with its RB16B, the team aims to avoid suffering the same pitfalls of previous years