21/04/2024
NEWS STORY
Alpine have been fined €10,000 for the unsafe release of Pierre Gasly during today's Chinese Grand Prix.
The Stewards determined that the Frenchman was given the green light to exit his pit box. However, the right rear tyre had not been properly fitted.
The electronic systems that monitor if a tyre was properly fitted did not pick that up. In addition, a team member incorrectly clicked the button to release the car, despite the tyre not being fitted properly.
As soon as the team realised the problem, they stopped the car, and prevented the car from leaving the pit box. However, in all of this, a team member fell backwards and was lightly injured, though he was able to continue with his duties for the rest of the race.
"It was clear to us that the driver was not at fault," said the stewards in their summary. "He was given the green light and he released the clutch and moved the car forward. However, he immediately stopped the car when the light turned red."
The stewards determined that the team was wholly responsible for what transpired and accordingly imposed a fine of €10,000 for not ensuring that the car complied with the conditions of eligibility and safety during the race.
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