30/04/2024
NEWS STORY
Aston Martin is seeking a right of view of the 10s penalty handed to Fernando Alonso following his collision with Carlos Sainz in the Shanghai Sprint.
Running third, and leading a DRS train that included fellow Sainz, Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc, Alonso at one point hit the Spaniard's Ferrari as they battled for position, picking up damage, including a puncture that led to his subsequent retirement.
Though Sainz had got the better of Alonso during the scrap, the Ferrari driver subsequently lost out to Perez and Leclerc having also incurred damage in the clash.
Alonso was handed a 10s penalty, which was meaningless as he finished last, but also received 3 penalty points, bringing his 12 month total to 6.
According to the stewards the penalty related to driving standards but Alonso and his team dispute this.
"It was tough racing with a couple of corners parallel to each other, wheel to wheel battle, at the end someone has to give up," said Alonso. "I gave up at Turn 8, the racing line, to avoid contact and he didn't give up in Turn 9 and we didn't avoid the contact."
"I think I did a really good move around the outside of Turn 7," argued Sainz. "I think from then on he decided to be all or nothing into Turn 9, which cost us both the race because I think I picked up damage and a lot of dirt in my tyre from that optimistic move."
Ferrari and Aston Martin have both been summoned by the stewards this Friday, for a hearing that will be held virtually via video conference.
The hearing will be held in two parts: The first part will be to hear evidence as to whether there is a "significant and relevant new element which was unavailable to the party seeking the review at the time of the decision concerned".
Should the stewards determine, in accordance with Article 14.3 of the FIA International Sporting Code, that such an element exists, the second part of the hearing will be convened at a time to be advised.