Kimi Raikkonen’s exclusion from qualifying means a major shake-up for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix grid.
The Finn had qualified fifth, his best starting position since July’s German Grand Prix. But he will drop to the back as his Lotus failed the FIA’s mandatory floor deflection test.
That blow came amid a wild week for Raikkonen during which he openly admitted he had considered not turning up to race amid a pay dispute with his team.
Raikkonen’s demotion means Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber now starts in the top five, behind the two Red Bulls and two Mercedes. The struggling Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari is elevated into the top 10 as a consequence, too.
Despite the FIA’s clampdown on track limit abuse this weekend, the only other qualifying penalty is for Jules Bianchi. His Marussia required a gearbox change following a practice three crash, earning him a five-place penalty.
Bianchi was 20th fastest, so with Raikkonen starting behind him, he only falls to 21st.
Pos Driver Team/Car 1. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 3. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 4. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 5. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 6. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 7. Felipe Massa Ferrari 8. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 9. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari10. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 11. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes12. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 13. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari14. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 15. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 16. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 17. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes18. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 19. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth20. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 21. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth22. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault
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