Audi fined after cooling fan mistake disrupts Slater’s FP1 debut

Audi has been fined €7,500 after an unsafe release disrupted Freddie Slater’s first official Formula 1 session, during FP1 at the Mexico City Grand Prix. A cooling fan was still lodged in the right-hand sidepod of the car when the British rookie was sent onto the track.

The team quickly spotted the error and told Slater to return to the garage. But the fan’s presence had already contributed to the power unit overheating, threatening to end his session after around half an hour without a push lap.

Fan left in the sidepod triggered an early return

The stewards imposed the fine after reviewing Audi’s mistake. The unsafe release left Slater’s first taste of an official F1 session in danger of being cut short before he could set a representative time.

Audi was able to cool the car sufficiently for him to go back out with only a few minutes of the first practice hour remaining. That late return gave Slater a chance to record timed laps, salvaging some track time after the interruption.

Slater finished 21st, ahead of Colton Herta in the Cadillac. While the result came after a severely disrupted session, he at least completed laps before FP1 ended. The incident had initially appeared to bring his running to a close after roughly 30 minutes, with no push laps completed at that point.

Slater is due back in practice in Brazil

The Mexico outing was Slater’s first official F1 session. The 18-year-old is also scheduled to take part in FP1 next week in Brazil, giving him another opportunity to drive in a grand prix weekend.

Audi’s penalty underscores the cost of the error, while Slater’s late return ensured the session did not finish without a timed effort from the rookie. For more on his practice programme, read our coverage of Audi’s two Formula 1 practice outings for Slater. We have also covered the discussion around Slater’s prospects in Formula 1.