After the Fernando Alonso controversy at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the FIA has pledged to reassess the regulations governing mechanics working on Formula 1 cars during pit stops.
As a late decision from the FIA determined that Alonso had not properly served an in-race penalty for starting outside his grid box, he was first given a post-race 10-second penalty.
The FIA then revised its decision after initially ruling that Alonso’s car had been idle for five seconds before mechanics touched it.
As the stewards reviewed the incident’s video on the race’s final lap, they concluded that the rear jack had contacted Alonso’s vehicle before the allotted time had expired.
What happened at Jeddah Grand Prix?
FIA to review F1 Saudi Arabian GP penalty situation before the Australian GP
The FIA has promised to look into the situation and provide teams with a clear understanding of what is and is not permitted before the Australian Grand Prix.
A statement issued by the FIA said: “The request to the Stewards for review of the initial decision (Document 51) was made in the last lap of the race.
“The subsequent decision of the stewards to hear and grant the Right of Review by the Competitor was the result of new evidence regarding the definition of ‘working on the car’, for which there were conflicting precedents, which this specific circumstance has exposed.”
This topic will therefore be addressed at the next Sporting Advisory Committee on Thursday, 23 March, and a clarification will be issued ahead of the 2023 FIA Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
🚨| The FIA will review its rules after the controversy surrounding Fernando Alonso in Saudi Arabia.
— Sam Kitching (@1SamKitching) March 20, 2023
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Alonso was handed a 10-second time penalty shortly after the podium ceremony, but his podium place was reinstated later on in the night.
•••#F1News #FIA #SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/IYr9LVUzX9
“This open approach to reviewing and improving its processes is part of the FIA’s ongoing mission to regulate the sport fairly and transparently.”
One of several topics related to the Alonso scenario discussed in the meeting is probably the reassessment of the regulations of mechanics working on the vehicle.
There are concerns about how difficult it is for drivers to read the grid boxes because Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon were penalized for starting in the wrong place this season.
Additional inquiries are being made into why, despite receiving the all-clear when it occurred, a formal probe into Alonso serving his penalty wasn’t opened until the last lap of the competition.
Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team is the worst thing that could've happened to Formula One in their history.
— Daniel a.k.a. Prokonover (@Prokonover) March 20, 2023
After reading FIA's documents i'm convinced the whole Alonso controversy was all their doing, conducting shady business with RD behind everyone's backs.#SaudiArabianGP #F1
