Alex Albon disqualified from Dutch GP qualifying over illegal Williams floor

Williams driver Alex Albon has been disqualified from the results of Saturday’s qualifying session at Zandvoort due to a breach of the technical regulations.

Albon had qualified eighth for the Dutch Grand Prix but will now start from the rear of the field thanks to an issue with the floor of his heavily updated car.

Williams unleashed a new diffuser, sidepod inlet, engine cover, central air intake and floor body at the first event after F1’s summer break, as the Grove operation look to climb the midfield order.

However, FIA F1 Technical Delegate Jo Bauer noted a potential problem relating to that floor body after qualifying, with the stewards subsequently investigating the matter.

Qualifying Highlights: 2024 Dutch Grand Prix

Albon and a team representative were called to visit the stewards at 1830 local time and, following that discussion, the panel handed out their disqualification.

The stewards’ conclusion read: “The floor body of Car 23 was found to lie outside the regulatory volume mentioned in Article 3.5.1 a) of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations.

"The team did not dispute the calibration of the FIA measuring system and the measurement of the car, but stated that their own measurements have produced different results.

"The Stewards determine that the result of the measurement conducted with the FIA system in Parc Ferme is the relevant one and the due process prescribed by the regulations has been followed. Therefore the standard penalty for such an infringement is applied."

Albon: Williams upgrades 'a big step' ahead of P8 start in Zandvoort

It's a blow for Williams, who felt that this track combined with their upgrade package represented a chance to score their first points since Silverstone.

"Unfortunately, Alex has been disqualified from Qualifying today due to his floor body being outside the regulatory volume set by the FIA," Williams said after the decision was released. "We are incredibly disappointed with this outcome and will be carrying out a thorough investigation and will provide an update soon."

Albon’s team mate, Logan Sargeant, did not take part in qualifying at all after he crashed out of a wet final practice session and caused damage to his own updated car that could not be repaired in time.

Earlier this season, Haas pair Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen were excluded from the results of qualifying in Monaco after the stewards discovered an irregularity with the opening of the Drag Reduction System (DRS) on their cars.