Pierre Gasly's evening took a turn for the worse as he was handed a late FIA penalty at the British Grand Prix.
The Frenchman was given a three-place grid penalty for impeding Lance Stroll in qualifying on Saturday afternoon at Silverstone.
What happened?
Pierre Gasly was summoned to the stewards to answer an accusation of impeding Lance Stroll in qualifying.
The incident occurred when Gasly remained on the racing line at a slow speed, requiring Stroll to move off line to pass.
Why was Pierre Gasly penalized?
The stewards' explanation stated that Gasly unnecessarily impeded Stroll, despite having no functioning radio at the time.
Gasly had been attempting radio checks and expected another driver to remain behind him.
What does this mean for Pierre Gasly?
The penalty will move Gasly down from 12th on the grid to 15th for Sunday's race.
This is a significant setback for the Frenchman, who will now face an uphill battle to make his way up the grid.
The incident had no impact on Stroll's chances of advancing to Q2, as he will start with a grid penalty of his own for power unit component changes.
Pierre Gasly's radio issues were confirmed by the FOM equipment, but the stewards determined that this did not remove Gasly's responsibility to avoid impeding another car.
Pierre Gasly's team, Alpine, is unlikely to be able to appeal the penalty, unlike in Monaco.
The Frenchman will now have to focus on making the most of his starting position and trying to make his way up the grid during the race.
The British Grand Prix takes place on Sunday, and Pierre Gasly will be looking to make a strong start and work his way up the grid.
With the penalty, Gasly will have to be aggressive and take risks to make up for lost ground.
The FIA's decision to penalize Pierre Gasly has significant implications for the Frenchman's chances in the race.
Gasly will have to be strategic and use his skills to overcome the setback and achieve a good result.