Robert Shwartzman stepped in for Zhou Guanyu at Sauber during FP1 at the Mexican Grand Prix to fulfill the mandatory rookie rule and get the opportunity to test an F1 car.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go well for him, as he was caught out by the yellow flags deployed after an incident involving Ollie Bearman and Alex Albon, which eventually led to a red flag.

Shwartzman was found guilty by the FIA steward for overtaking Yuki Tsunoda under double-waved yellow flags near the incident, a situation in which drivers are required to slow down.

He was handed a five-place grid penalty for the mistake, a typical consequence for such an error. However, the bizarre part is that the Russian-Israeli driver hasn’t yet made his Grand Prix debut and currently has none scheduled.

He could only be called up if Zhou or Valtteri Bottas are unable to participate in any of the remaining races this season. Regardless, whether in this scenario or any future F1 race he enters, he will start his debut with a grid drop penalty.

Acknowledging the unusual nature of the situation, the stewards recognized this but, in order to maintain consistency, imposed the penalty on Shwartzman anyway.