F1 team FINED by FIA after very strange Azerbaijan GP incident

One Formula 1 team have been slapped with a fine following a bizarre incident at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend.

Sunday's race in Baku proved an epic watch, with a fierce battle for the lead throughout the race.

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In the end, McLaren's Oscar Piastri came out on top, leading home a top three that also consisted of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Mercedes' George Russell.

It was also an excellent day for Williams, with Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto both securing points with finishes in P7 and P8 respectively.

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Williams fined by FIA

However, ahead of Sunday's race, Williams made a huge error that resulted in a financial penalty.

With both drivers through to Q3, as Albon pulled out of the pitlane, he was forced to stop when he realized that the team had left a bright yellow cooling fan, typically used to regulate the car's temperature in the garage, attached to the airbox inlet above his head.

With the team unable to assist, Albon attempted to remove the fan himself while remaining strapped into the cockpit.

After some struggle, he managed to detach the fan and attempted to pass it to a nearby marshal.

When no help came, he dropped the fan on the ground and resumed his lap. However, the delay meant he missed the opportunity to set a faster time, leaving him in 10th place on the grid for the race on Sunday.

The stewards promptly noted the unsafe release of Albon’s car, though the FIA later determined that Williams’ and Albon’s actions prevented further disruption to the session.

In their official statement, the FIA said, "Throwing parts overboard, requiring a marshal to retrieve them is not normal.

"However, in this case, the actions of the team and driver prevented the qualifying runs of any other driver from being affected."

This "least worst option" approach spared other competitors from yellow flags, but the €5,000 fine was still imposed for the unsafe release.

Williams team principal James Vowles personally apologized to Albon over team radio after the session, acknowledging the team’s error.

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