The manner in which engine grid penalties will be applied in Formula 1 has been tweaked for the 2019 championship. Under current regulations drivers are penalised should they exceed their season allocation of power unit components, as each driver is permitted three Internal Combustion Engines, MGU-Hs and Turbochargers, and just two Energy Stores, Control Electronics and MGU-Ks.
Should an individual sanction exceed 15 positions, in effect taking on an entirely fresh power unit, they are automatically relegated to the back of the grid, but on occasion in 2018 more than one driver took up such a sanction, meaning multiple participants were in effect issued with the same penalty.
That meant that penalised drivers were lined up on the grid in the order in which their car took to the circuit for the opening practice session of the Grand Prix weekend, leading to a queue at the end of the pit lane. This was most prominent in Russia, when five drivers queued at the end of the pit lane prior to FP1. For 2019 this has been revised, and instead penalised drivers will be arranged in the order in which they qualify.
At the same time, this could also act as an incentive for drivers to participate in as much of the session as possible, after some clocked only a lap in Q1 in 2018 before saving tyres.
Elsewhere the regulations have been tweaked to allow any driver starting from the pit lane to complete a reconnaissance lap, and also take part in the formation lap, before returning to the pits, should they wish to do so.
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