Fernando Alonso has been penalized 20 seconds after the Australian GP for possible reckless driving, according to the FIA stewards after investigating his involvement in the accident. George Russell. The Asturian falls from sixth to eighth place, behind Lance Stroll and Yuki Tsunoda. The penalty also deducts 3 points from your license.
Alonso was defending sixth place in Albert Park against Russell, who was chasing him in the final stages of the race and was very close, with new tires. The FIA has investigated a possible ‘break test’ of the Asturian in turn 6 during the penultimate lap, when Russell suffered a serious accident
Fernando has revealed that he had problems with the deployment of the battery during the final stretch of the race and that he was focused on what lay ahead, but his arguments have not convinced the stewards.
“I was focused on what was in front of me and not behind me.. He was having some problems during the last 15 laps with the battery deployment, so he was definitely suffering a little bit in the last part of the race. I can’t focus on the cars behind me, He’s fine, apparently, I’ve already seen him“,
Russell has given another version: “My take is that I went wide and was half a second behind Fernando. It is clear that he braked 100 meters before the curve, suddenly, he was in the gearbox and then, he returned to the accelerator to make the curve in the same way. We have already seen the data, I do not want to accuse him of anything, we will see what happens. I don’t know if he had a problem or not, it’s a strange thing in these types of circumstances. He didn’t expect it, he caught me by surprise and what comes next is only my thing.”
The FIA’s decision
The FIA ruling blames Alonso for Russell’s accident, “after listening to the two drivers and their team representatives and reviewing the data from the positioning/marshals system, video, telemetry, team radio, on-board video tests and the telemetry provided by both teams.”
This is what the statement says:
“Telemetry shows that Alonso raised his foot just over 100 meters earlier than he had ever done before when entering that curve during the race. He also braked very lightly at a point where he normally would not brake (although the amount of braking was so small that it was not the main reason his car slowed down) and slowed down at a point where he would normally never brake. reduced. He then shifted up again and accelerated into the curve before lifting again to take it. Alonso explained that, although his plan was to brake earlier, he made a little mistake and had to take additional steps to regain speed. However, this maneuver created a considerable and unusual closing speed among the cars.”
“In considering the matter, the commissioners focused solely on the wording of the regulation, which reads: “At no time may a car be driven unnecessarily slowly.erratically or in a manner that could be considered potentially dangerous to other drivers or any other person.” (Art 33.4).”
“Specifically, in this case, the stewards have not taken into account the consequences of the accident. Furthermore, the stewards considered that they do not have enough information to determine whether Alonso’s maneuver was intended to cause problems for Russell, or whether, as he stated, to the stewards that he was simply trying to get a better way out.
“Should Alonso have the right to try a different approach to the corner? – Yes.”
“Should Alonso be responsible for the dirty air, which ultimately caused the incident? No.”.
“However, did you decide to do something, with the intention of whatever, that was extraordinary, that is, lift, brake, downshift and all other elements of the maneuver more than 100 meters earlier than before, and much more than necessary to simply reduce speed earlier for the bend? – Yes, according to his own account of the incident, he did, and in the stewards’ opinion, by doing these things, he drove in a manner that was, at the very least, “potentially dangerous.” , given the high-speed nature of that spot on the track.”
“This season, the FIA penalty guidelines for Formula 1, including this offence, have been readjusted and increased to a 10 second penalty. Additionally, when there is an aggravating circumstance, the possibility of imposing a ‘Drive Through’ sanction is considered. “In this case, we consider that the fact that Alonso decided to perform an unusual maneuver at that time is an aggravating circumstance, and not a simple mistake.”
“Therefore, the stewards order a drive through penalty, which will become 20 seconds added to the elapsed time of car 14, along with three penalty points. Competitors are reminded that they have the right to appeal certain decisions by the Stewards Sports, in accordance with Article 15 of the FIA International Sports Code and Chapter 4 of the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Regulations, within the applicable deadlines.”
“Stewards’ decisions are made independently of the FIA and are based solely on the relevant regulations, guidelines and evidence presented.”
2024-03-24 10:12:05
#Twenty #seconds #penalty #Alonso #Australia
