Mercedes Chief Relates Fernando Alonso Penalty To 2021 Abu Dhabi GP: "Robbed The Greatest Driver"

Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, has spoken out about the controversial decision to penalise Fernando Alonso during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, highlighting the need for accurate and well-thought-out decisions by the FIA.

In drawing parallels between Alonso’s penalty and Lewis Hamilton’s perceived loss of the 2021 World Championship title, Wolff emphasises the importance of the FIA making the right decisions rather than rushing to make a call.

Hamilton’s loss of the 2021 title has been widely discussed, with Mercedes and the British driver still feeling that he was unjustly denied his eighth championship. Michael Masi, then FIA race director, controversially decided to set up a final lap shoot-out between Hamilton and Max Verstappen. The decision was criticised by Mercedes, who believed it was the wrong call.

Masi’s decision ultimately led to his departure and the introduction of an overhaul of the FIA’s race control system. Neils Wittich was put in charge last season, but Wolff claims that mistakes are still being made.

During the recent Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Alonso received a penalty early in the race for lining up incorrectly on the grid, and this was served when he made his pit stop. However, during the pit stop, his rear jackman touched the car, leading the stewards to review the stop and issue a 10-second time penalty. This was later overturned after an appeal from Alonso’s Aston Martin team.

Wolff has highlighted the need for the FIA to make accurate decisions, stating that the penalty was harsh and that Fernando and Aston Martin deserved to be on the podium based on their driving performance. He believes that the FIA should review their regulations to ensure that such instances do not occur in the future.

In light of the events of the 2021 season, Wolff believes that it is better to wait for the correct result rather than rushing to a decision for the sake of entertainment. He believes that hasty decisions robbed Hamilton of the championship and that similar mistakes should be avoided in the future.

Wolff explained to Channel 4:

“First of all, the penalty was super harsh because from the pure driving performance Fernando and Aston Martin deserved to be on the podium.

“We have to look at those regulations and see is there is anything we can tweak because it didn’t affect his race.

“I’d rather have the FIA come to the right decisions than be too quick and obviously fall into something that’s wrong.

“We’ve been victims of that in 2021 where everything was down to the entertainment for a quick decision and it robbed the greatest driver of the championships.

“So in that respect, I think I’d rather not go to the podium and have the correct result afterwards.”