On 12 May 2005, BAR Honda was sanctioned by the FIA, receiving a two-round suspension for an unusual regulations breach.
Twenty-one years ago today, on 12 May 2005, BAR Honda faced a significant penalty in F1 history: a two-race suspension for using a hidden fuel tank system to evade weight regulations. The controversy arose after the 2005 San Marino Grand Prix, where Jenson Button came third and Takuma Sato finished fifth. Post-race inspection uncovered that the team had 15 liters of fuel in a concealed compartment, violating the weight regulations. Without the hidden fuel, Button’s car weighed only 594.6kg, well below the mandatory 600kg minimum. FIA president Max Mosley criticized BAR, accusing them of deceiving officials about the fuel level in the tank.
