Formula 1: Why was Sebastian Vettel not penalized for his false start?

Despite the fact that Sebastian Vettel moved before the Japanese Grand Prix began, he was not issued any kind of penalty in the Formula 1 race. Why?

Before the lights went out to get the Japanese Grand Prix, the 17th of 21 races on the 2019 Formula 1 schedule, underway at Suzuka Circuit, Scuderia Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who lined up on the front row with teammate Charles Leclerc after taking the pole position, moved.

Vettel was able to stop his car before the race actually got underway, but then when the lights did go out, he was all out of sequence and ended up being passed from behind by third place starter Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport for the lead.

Bottas went on to dominate the 52-lap race, shortened from 53 laps as a result of a system glitch that led to the checkered flag being displayed one lap early, around the 18-turn, 3.609-mile (5.808-kilometer) Suzuka Circuit road course in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, Japan. Vettel finished in second place, 13.343 seconds behind the 30-year-old Finn.

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But after Alfa Romeo Racing’s Kimi Raikkonen was issued a drive-through penalty in the Russian Grand Prix at Sochi Autodrom for a false start just over two weeks ago, Vettel was not.

Why not?

According to a statement made by the stewards, Vettel’s movement was “within the acceptable tolerance” of the system currently in place to prevent foul play, therefore making what many have deemed to be a “false start” not exactly a “false start”.

Here is what this statement says.

"“The stewards reviewed video evidence and the jump-start report based on the information from the FIA approved and supplied transponder fitted to each car. While the video shows some movement, that movement was within the acceptable tolerance of the F1 jump start system which formerly defines a jump start per (the sporting regulations).”"

This judgment was ultimately made because of the fact that Vettel did not gain an advantage over anybody doing what he did. In fact, he cost himself a shot at the victory. Vettel got his car stopped before the lights actually went out, and he never actually left his grid box before that took place, yet those corrections were what cost him the early lead.

We have seen this precedent set in the past in the 2017 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring when Bottas, who went on to win the race, moved before the lights went out with him on the pole position and was not penalized for doing so.

FIA race director Michael Masi even commented about this particular situation, stating the following, according to RACER.

"“Basically the approved sensor which gives us a signal was within the tolerances, and probably the best analogy for everyone would be Valtteri a couple of years ago. That is the approved method in the regulations for it to be determined if it is (a false start) or if it isn’t.”"

That said, Raikkonen didn’t gain an advantage in this year’s Russian Grand Prix, yet he was still penalized for the movement of his car before the lights went out. So there will certainly be calls for more consistency from the race stewards moving forward after this latest occurrence.

Will there be more consistency from the Formula 1 race stewards moving forward after Sebastian Vettel went unpenalized for what many saw as a false start ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit?