Red Bull were handed a hefty fine after youngster Isack Hadjar blocked Lando Norris in a dangerous Silverstone incident.
Hadjar was taking part in FP1 ahead of the British Grand Prix as Red Bull fulfilled part of their requirements to run an inexperienced driver in at least two practice sessions per season. The Formula 2 driver was given the keys to Sergio Perez's RB20 for the hour-long session.
But he was involved in a scary moment when Norris, on a flying lap, came across the slow-moving Red Bull which was sat on the racing line. The McLaren driver had to brake hard to avoid crashing into the back of the other car, locking up a wheel in the process.
The incident was referred to the stewards and both drivers called to give their sides of the story. After weighing up the evidence, it was decided that Hadjar had not been warned by the team in a timely manner that there was another car approaching fast.
Red Bull were given a £17,000 fine while Hadjar was also given a formal warning for "unnecessarily impeding" Norris. Explaining the outcome, the stewards wrote: "It was obvious that [Hadjar] was not given timely and appropriate warning of the approach of Car 4 [Norris].
"The driver of Car 4 was forced to brake heavily and leave the track to avoid a collision. The team of Car 37 [Red Bull] conceded that it had not provided the necessary advice to its driver.
The stewards note that the penalty on the competitor is higher that that imposed for another impeding incident in this session. The reason for this is that this incident was regarded as more serious."
Speaking to reporters after the session, Hadjar gave the impression he thought it was a fair outcome. The Frenchman said: "I impeded Lando, went to the stewards, but it was all clear. I mean, I couldn't see him and I've been told about him quite late and, I mean, usual stuff in F1, comes at you so fast and it was a bit busy as well, but all good.
"It was unbelievable to drive in FP1 today. It honestly felt like the first time in the car again and the braking and the high speed in the RB20 are just on another level. My last FP1 was in Abu Dhabi and it was quite limited mileage, so it was unbelievable to drive around this iconic and fast track here at Silverstone.
"The conditions were pretty good and fully dry, we expected some wet spots but the grip was actually very good which was surprising. It’s been a while since I’ve been in this car, but it is always great to be back with the team and to know the procedures."
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