Red Bull, Force India, Bottas face grid threat

The FIA stewards are currently debating an interpretation of the F1 regulations that in theory could mean all five drivers lose their current grid slots.

The issue is a regulation that refers to Q1 and the failure to set a time within 107 percent of the fastest lap.

The regulation says: "During Q1, any driver whose best qualifying lap exceeds 107 percent of the fastest time set during that session, or who fails to set a time, will not be allowed to take part in the race. Under exceptional circumstances however, which may include setting a suitable lap time in a free practice session, the stewards may permit the car to start the race.

"Any driver accepted in this manner will be placed at the back of the starting grid after any other penalties have been applied.

"Should there be more than one driver accepted in this manner they will be arranged on the grid in the order they were classified in P3."

This was obviously designed to deal with inherently slow cars, but the problem today was that in the difficult conditions of Q1 no fewer than 11 drivers failed to pass the 107 percent mark, and five progress to the next stage of qualifying, and it is those five who are in question.

It's understood that the stewards initially accepted the literal interpretation of the above rule and were prepared to move the five cars down the order.

However, at least one of the teams concerned has met with them and offered an alternative interpretation.

Their view is that the full qualifying rules have to be read as a complete entity.

A later rule says: "The top ten positions will be occupied by the cars which took part in Q3, the fastest from the position on the grid which was the pole position in the previous year."

Don’t miss our Hungarian GP video preview…

The likelihood is that common sense will prevail and the final grid will have the aforementioned cars in their original places, but it remains to be seen if rival teams will accept that.