Ocon disqualified from qualifying in Baku for rear wing deflection

Esteban Ocon was disqualified from Saturday's qualifying session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after post‑session checks found his Haas rear wing exceeded allowable deflection limits, the stewards said, dealing a further blow to the French driver at the Baku City Circuit. The infringement was raised by FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer following qualifying and referred to the stewards under Article 3.15.17 of the 2025 Technical Regulations.

The stewards' decision document said the mainplane tips on Ocon's rear wing moved beyond the permitted 0.5 millimetre tolerance when loaded. Measurements showed a deflection of 0.825 millimetres on the right side and 0.6 millimetres on the left. "The calibration of the measuring instrument was verified and valid," the stewards wrote. Haas accepted that the prescribed test procedure had been followed and told officials the discrepancy resulted from a production or assembly problem with that specific part, the stewards noted. They concluded the car did not comply with the regulations and imposed disqualification from the qualifying classifications.

Stewards also granted Haas permission for Ocon to start the race after the team requested it, but...