Skip to content

Sebastian Vettel will drop five places on the grid for Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix, thanks to Toro Rosso debuting their new car at the event. The STR3’s revised transmission design means Vettel must take the penalty for what is in effect an unscheduled gearbox change.

Under 2008 regulations, gearboxes must last for four consecutive events, meaning the German driver should have continued with the box he used at the previous round in Turkey. However, the design of the interim STR2’s transmission is incompatible with that of the new car.

Vettel’s team mate Sebastien Bourdais will escape sanction, however. The Frenchman failed to reach the finish in Istanbul Park, meaning he is free to start his first Monaco Grand Prix with a new gearbox.