F1: Vettel, Ricciardo to start in pitlane

Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo will start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from the pitlane after Red Bull had to change its front wing and nose assembly.

The duo had been thrown out of qualifying for the season finale at the Yas Marina after the FIA ruled that the RB10's front wing was illegal. Detailed inspection by the governing body had uncovered a trick design featuring a hidden spring that allowed the front wing flaps to flex at high speed, giving the cars better aero balance throughout the entire lap.

Although the FIA had originally stated that the team would be allowed to start from the back of the grid, the fact the wings were illegal meant it had no option but to change them for the race. This is in breach of F1's parc ferme regulations that demands teams can only replace parts with an identical specification.

A statement issued by the FIA said that Red Bull planned to run a different specification of front wing and nose assembly.

F1 technical delegate Jo Bauer said: "As the above parts are different from the ones originally used, cars number 01 (Vettel) and 03 (Ricciardo) should now be required to start the race from the pit lane according to Article 34.6 of the 2014 Formula One Sporting Regulations."