Ferrari faces possible Belgian GP penalty over tyre return breach. Ferrari referred to Belgian GP stewards over Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc tyre sets.

Ferrari faces a possible fine at the Belgian Grand Prix after the FIA reported an unusual tyre return breach involving both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. The issue emerged after Friday’s second free practice session at Spa-Francorchamps and has now been referred to the stewards.

The Maranello team appears unlikely to face a sporting penalty, but a financial sanction could follow once the stewards have assessed Ferrari’s explanation. The incident adds another off-track concern during a weekend in which the team is already dealing with the demanding technical challenges of Spa, including the FIA’s tighter energy-management rules.

FIA reports Ferrari tyre return breach at Belgian GP

The matter came to light at the end of FP2 in Belgium. In a document published at 18:21, FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer brought a potential infringement by Ferrari to the attention of the stewards concerning the return of tyres used by Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton during FP1.

The FIA document stated: “Following FP1, the Scuderia Ferrari HP team electronically returned two sets of dry-weather tyres (sets 16-301 and 16-401) for Car 16 (LEC) in accordance with Articles B6.4.1 and B6.3.8 a) iii). However, the respective tyres were not physically returned to the Designated Tyre Supplier before the start of FP2. This constitutes non-compliance with Article B6.4.2.”

An equivalent notice was issued for Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari: “Following FP1, the Scuderia Ferrari HP team electronically returned two sets of dry-weather tyres (sets 44-301 and 44-401) for Car 44 (HAM) in accordance with Articles B6.4.1 and B6.3.8 a) iii). However, the respective tyres were not physically returned to the Designated Tyre Supplier before the start of FP2. This constitutes non-compliance with Article B6.4.2.”

The infringement therefore concerns four tyre sets across Ferrari’s two cars. Although the team completed the electronic return procedure correctly, the physical tyres were not handed back to the designated supplier before FP2 began, as required by the regulations.

Previous tyre return penalties suggest Ferrari will receive a fine

Ferrari’s mistake is unusual, but it is not entirely without precedent in recent Formula 1 history. A similar incident involved Williams during the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, while Haas committed another tyre return infringement at the same event in 2023.

Williams received a €1,000 fine, whereas Haas was fined €5,000, possibly reflecting a stricter approach adopted by the FIA from one season to the next. In Haas’s case, the infringement occurred twice, bringing the total financial penalty to €10,000.

Those precedents suggest Ferrari may also escape with a fine rather than a more serious sporting sanction. The final amount will be determined by the Belgian Grand Prix stewards after considering any mitigating circumstances or explanations supplied by the Maranello team.

The decision will conclude a busy day for Ferrari at Spa, where the team has also been evaluating its car and the latest Formula 1 upgrades introduced for the Belgian Grand Prix. Before the weekend began, Charles Leclerc had already outlined Ferrari’s expectations for Spa-Francorchamps, but the team must now await the stewards’ ruling on this procedural tyre breach.