F1: Pic Lands ‘Community Service’ Penalty

Formula 1

F1: Pic Lands ‘Community Service’ Penalty

Rookie Charles Pic must appear on behalf of the FIA Action for Road Safety...

Adam Cooper | http://www.speedtv.com | Posted September 22, 2012 Marina Bay (SGP)

Charles Pic is in his rookie F1 season. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Charles Pic has been given a ‘community service’ penalty after passing under red flags after the stoppage near the end of FP3.

Pic has been ordered to appear on behalf of the FIA Action for Road Safety campaign at some point in the future.

He has also had 20 seconds added to his race time.

The FIA said: “Penalty of 20 seconds to be added to the driver’s race time and, in addition, the driver and his team engineer to perform one day’s Community Service for FIA Action for Road Safety campaign at the instruction of the FIA president.

“The driver and team representative conceded the breach which involved the driver passing four sets of red lights/flags, then overtaking another car.”

The penalty is completely without precedent but would seem to be more worthwhile than a fine. The interesting bit is that it’s at the instruction of the FIA president.

Adam Cooper notched up his 27th season as a racing journalist in 2011. He has written about F1 for SPEED.com since 2005. Follow him on Twitter.