In the last Austrian Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso avoided a sanction by drawing on experience and mischief. Now, the rival teams have complained to the FIA and warn of a dangerous precedent.
After failing to start the number 14 Alpine on the starting grid, Fernando Alonso he did not take part in Saturday’s sprint race at the Austrian Grand Prix. This forced him to start on Sunday from 19th position, setting himself the goal of scratching a point at the end of the test.
But the determination and pace of Fernando Alonso and his Alpine allowed him to reach sixth position after the virtual safety car caused by the Carlos Sainz fire. The Spanish had a pit stop pending and took advantage of this circumstance to change his tires and lose less time than if he had stopped with the race launched.
a loose wheel
However, Alpine failed to stop and the left front wheel was poorly tightened. In that circumstance, the FIA forces to stop the car before it leaves the pits, thus avoiding a dangerous situation for participants, spectators and marshals. Not only because of a hypothetical accident, but because of the possibility that the wheel could be thrown in any direction.
The point is that Fernando Alonso realized it right away, but instead of radioing his engineer, he limited himself to informing him that he had to go back into the pits. When his engineer asked him why, the Spaniard insisted on his need to stop again, without giving explanations.
The video in which Fernando Alonso avoids the penalty.
Once he entered the pit-lane, Fernando Alonso informed his engineer that they should check the front left. And the standard procedure of changing the tires again did the rest. The #14 Alpine took to the track in 14th position, but with new soft tires that allowed it to reach the end of the race in 10th and with a point in its pocket.
Complaints to the FIA
The teams have complained to the FIA about what they consider a roguery by Fernando Alonso and a dangerous precedent.
Fernando Alonso completed a lap at Spielberg with the left front wheel loose. According to regulations, this should have resulted in a penalty. However, the commissioners acquitted him and set a dangerous precedent.
Alfa’s sporting director, Beat Zehnder, is not the only one who is upset by what happened, stating that “This sets a dangerous precedent. In the future, everyone will try to bring their car to the pits. Until one day a wheel really does fly”.
Under normal conditions, this type of infraction is usually punished with a significant financial fine for the team. And, if the driver does what Alonso did, ignore the danger, he can even be sanctioned with 30 seconds and 10 places on the grid of the next Grand Prix.
Instead, the FIA determined that the problem with the wheel originated after Fernando Alonso left the pits and that the Spaniard acted correctly by not knowing what was happening, since the wheel did not oscillate and he only reported “vibrations”.
Be that as it may, Fernando Alonso and Alpine got away with the penalty and now the teams are trying to force the FIA to be stricter next time. And it is that in Formula 1 not only the best succeed, but also the most mischievous.
Font: Auto motor und sport
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Photos: Alpine F1 Team