Scrutineering is F1’s version of a customs check: every car must pass it to be allowed to race. Before and after qualifying or races, FIA officials examine each car to make sure it complies with the rulebook — on dimensions, weight, fuel, legality of parts, and about 300 other tiny details. Fail scrutineering, and it’s game over, no matter how fast you were. It’s also the moment every race engineer briefly forgets how to breathe.
