Giovinazzi hit with gearbox grid penalty

Sauber’s Antonio Giovinazzi will start this afternoon’s 2017 Formula 1 Heineken Chinese Grand Prix from 18th place after being penalised five grid spots for an unscheduled gearbox change.

The change was made following Giovinazzi’s heavy crash during qualifying, which left the Italian unable to participate in Q2, despite having finished 15th in the times.

His demotion means that McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Force India’s Esteban Ocon all move up a place.

Despite his five-place penalty, Giovinazzi still starts ahead of Haas's Romain Grosjean and Renault's Jolyon Palmer who were both penalised five grid places yesterday for not slowing sufficiently whilst passing the double waved yellow flags for Giovinazzi’s accident.