Mat Coch & Chris Balfe write:

Stewards in Singapore have handed Mark Webber a reprimand for hitching a ride back to the pits with Fernando Alonso at the end of today’s race.

Webber retired on the final lap of the gruelling event when his engine failed out on track, Alonso picked up the Australian and drove him back to the pits on his Ferrari evoking memories of Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna at Silverstone in 1991.

While a fine sporting gesture the stewards had a different opinion, reprimanding Webber for going "on to the track without the permission of Marshals".

Being the Australian's third reprimand of the year, the previous 'offences' occuring in Bahrain and Canade, it means he automatically picks up a ten-place grid penalty for the race in Korea.

Alonso also received a reprimand for his part in incident, stewards deeming the two-time world champion "drove the car in a manner which could be deemed potentially dangerous to other drivers or any other person".

Security footage broadcast in the media centre showed Webber jogging down the escape road after the race and flagging Alonso down.

Though subsequent TV coverage of the incident revealed that Webber ran across the track to hitch the lift, which, along with Alonso stopping, caused other cars, including Hamilton to have to take avoiding action, Christian Horner was critical of the punishment.

"It was good for the show, it was good TV and it should have been dealt with by a fine or a slap on the wrist," he later told reporters. "What is a shame is that it's ended up in a reprimand and because it's the third it means a ten-place penalty. Perhaps in this instance talking to the drivers would have sufficed."

However, Hamilton wasn't so surprised by the stewards action. "I was doing my in-lap, came around the corner and Fernando was there and I was really shocked," he said. "If Mark had been walking across where I went I would have run him over."