Aston Martin F1 News: Team Lodges Right of Review for Fernando Alonso Penalty

Aston Martin seeks a formal review of Fernando Alonso’s penalty following his collision with Carlos Sainz in China.

Nov 15, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso of Spain during media / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Following a controversial incident during the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint Race, Aston Martin has officially requested a review of the penalty imposed on Fernando Alonso. The team argues that new evidence could potentially overturn the stewards' initial decision.

The British team has filed a formal request to review the penalty given to their driver Fernando Alonso after an on-track incident with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz during the recent Chinese GP Sprint Race. Alonso, who had been running in third place ahead of a closely packed DRS train, collided with Sainz while jockeying for position, which ultimately led to substantial damage to both cars and Alonso's retirement from the race.

The collision not only affected their immediate race outcome but also had subsequent repercussions. Alonso was hit with a 10-second penalty and received three penalty points on his license, bringing his total to six penalty points over the past 12 months. However, given Alonso's retirement, the penalty had no practical impact on his race result. Meanwhile, Sainz, despite briefly moving ahead, suffered enough race damage to lose ground to competitors Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc.

Alonso explained his perspective, emphasizing his attempt to avoid the collision: 

"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. 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."

Sainz also commented on the situation, pointing out the aggressive nature of Alonso's maneuver:

"I think I did a really good move around the outside of Turn 7. 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."

Aston Martin is contesting the stewards' decision, arguing that the penalty was unduly harsh and that Alonso had conceded the racing line in a bid to avoid contact. The team's request for a right of review indicates they believe there is significant new evidence that could potentially change the outcome of the original steward's ruling.

The upcoming steward's hearing will be conducted via video conference where both Aston Martin and Ferrari will have the opportunity to present their cases. This hearing will follow a structured procedure outlined in Article 14.3 of the FIA International Sporting Code, focusing initially on the examination and relevancy of the new evidence before moving to a decision phase.