Ferrari’s Belgian Grand Prix weekend was disrupted by a €10,000 fine after the FIA found the team had not physically returned the correct tyres for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton before second practice.
The case was a procedural one rather than a sporting flashpoint, but it still underlined how tightly controlled tyre handling is in Formula 1. After FP1 at Spa-Francorchamps, teams must return two sets of tyres, and the process has to be completed both electronically and physically for the Appointed Tyre Supplier.
What Ferrari did wrong
Shortly after FP2, an FIA document confirmed that Ferrari had electronically returned two sets of dry-weather tyres for Car 16 and two sets for Car 44 after FP1, but the corresponding tyres had not been physically returned before the start of FP2.
FIA official Jo Bauer set out the breach in clear terms. For Charles Leclerc’s car, he said the team electronically returned two sets in line with the relevant procedures, but the tyres were not physically returned before FP2. The same finding applied to Lewis Hamilton’s car, with the FIA ruling that the team was non-compliant with the regulation.
Ferrari accepted the issue and was fined €10,000 in total. Team principal Fred Vasseur said the team had been “late” returning the tyres and expected only a “fine”.
Why the rule matters
This is not just paperwork for the sake of it. Bernie Collins explained that the tyres have to be scanned back into the system and then physically sent to Pirelli so they can be checked for damage, cuts and safety issues, as well as other data that helps control tyre use.
She also noted that if the physical return does not happen, Pirelli may not have all the right information, and that can matter for pit stop practice and safety checks. Her view was that the breach should bring a penalty rather than just a warning, although she stressed that the fault lies with the team rather than the drivers.
The Ferrari case also revived memories of a previous example at the 2016 German Grand Prix, when Aston Martin, then Force India, fell foul of the same regulation and Nico Hulkenberg received a one-place grid penalty.
For Ferrari, the immediate damage is limited to the fine, but the incident is another reminder that even a small procedural slip can become a public FIA issue in a tightly regulated championship.
