Lance Stroll urged race control to penalise two of his rivals for leaving the pit lane while a red light was shown during the Dutch Grand Prix.
The incident occured as the field left the pits when the race resumed following the stoppage caused by Max Verstappen’s crash.
The pit lane exit lights were green as the field began to leave the pits. However after Fernando Alonso passed by the signal changed to a flashing red light.
Oliver Bearman and Gabriel Bortoleto both drove past the flashing red light. Neither acknowledged the pit lane exit had been closed and continued to the grid, though Bearman suffered a power unit failure before he got there.
Stroll, who was following the pair, noticed the light had changed and alerted his race engineer Gary Gannon:
Stroll
The lights red, huh? Light’s red.
Gannon
Checking, I’m checking.
Stroll
I’m not going unless it’s green.
Gannon
Yeah, understood Lance.
Stroll
10 seconds later
Tell me if I can go or not.
Gannon
Waiting to hear back from the FIA.
The signal changes to green and Stroll leaves the pit exit
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He repeatedly called for the drivers who had passed the red signal to be penalised. Stroll correctly noted that Formula 1’s penalty guidelines state drivers who pass a red light at the pit lane exit during a race should receive 10-second stop-and-go penalties:
Stroll
So everybody that went under a red should get a penalty.
Gannon
Yep, yep.
Stroll
Stop and go.
Gannon
Understood, we’ll report it. So the back of the pack…
Stroll
It’s the rules.
Gannon
…the back of the pack is in nine, so you can build temp. Good pushing to build temp
Stroll appeared to be under the impression that many more drivers than just the two immediately in front of him had driven past the red signal:
Stroll
It’s clear that everyone went under red, then they all should get a penalty.
Gannon
We’re checking it now.
Stroll
Stop and go.
Gannon
Yeah, we’re checking now.
Stroll
Everybody.
Gannon
It started out green and then it went red and we’re checking who went through red and reporting it ASAP. Absolutely Lance.
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The Aston Martin driver continued to press his case on the formation lap, even when his race engineer was trying to warn him about Bearman’s stoppage ahead:
Gannon
‘Bearman is slow between 10-11. Yellow ahead for Bearman stopped. Bearman stopped between 10-11. Watch for Bearman…
Stroll
Those are the rules.
Gannon
…there, watch for Bearmen.
Stroll
The rules are: it’s red…
Gannon
Lance, we’ve reported it, we reported it. Now let’s get focused getting around to the grid, okay? We’ve reported and they will action it.
However the stewards chose instead to only reprimand the pair, pointing out that the incident occured before the race resumption and neither had gained an advantage.
Bortoleto and Bearman passed the red pit exit light“The pit exit light turned red when the driver was approaching the pit exit to join the track for the re-start of the race after a suspension,” they noted. “Such an infringement happening during the race normally requires a very significant penalty as the drivers are obliged to obey light signals at all times. However, in this case the infringement did not happen during a live race, but rather on the build-up before the re-start, although the race had technically already resumed in accordance with Article B5.15.2g.
“In addition to that, the stewards acknowledge that neither any advantage was gained nor any potentially dangerous or unsafe situation was created. Therefore a reprimand to the driver is deemed appropriate given the mitigating circumstances and the unique scenario.”
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2026 Dutch Grand Prix
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