Fernando Alonso was awarded the momentous a hundredth podium of his Formula One profession, and second in two races for Aston Martin, as officers carried out a dramatic U-turn hours after the conclusion of Sunday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The 41-year-old double world champion, having fun with a renaissance along with his much-improved group, completed third in Jeddah however was demoted to fourth by a 10-second post-race penalty.
The Spaniard was initially handed a five-second penalty for an error on the beginning grid and one other for failing to serve it correctly – the rear jack being involved with the automotive earlier than the 5 seconds had been up.
That second penalty was then reversed when his group gained a proper to assessment after presenting new proof to assist their case.
“I am happy in the end with the result tonight and our second podium. We showed that we can be the second fastest team and we had good pace throughout the race,” mentioned Alonso in a group assertion.
The new proof included the minutes of the most recent Sporting Advisory Committee assembly and a video of “seven different instances where cars were touched by the jack while serving a similar penalty … without being penalized.”
Stewards mentioned the proof known as into query a supposed settlement between the groups and FIA that “touching the car in any way, including with a jack, would constitute ‘working’ on the car.'”
Alonso, who had celebrated on the rostrum earlier than the demotion, had criticized the FIA for the delay in imposing the second penalty greater than 30 laps after his pitstop.
“I think it’s more an FIA poor show today, more than disappointment for ourselves,” he mentioned then.
“You cannot apply a penalty 35 laps after the pitstop. They had sufficient time to actually inform concerning the penalty. If I knew that, possibly I open 11 seconds to the automotive behind. Today we did not placed on a superb present, I feel, for our followers.
“They told me just five seconds in the first stint and I opened seven or eight. Then in the second there was no information at all, not even investigated.”
The reversal meant Mercedes driver George Russell dropped again to fourth after showing within the post-race news convention because the third-placed finisher.
“The penalty on Fernando was harsh. They are deserving podium finishers today but I’ll take an extra trophy,” he mentioned earlier.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
