Fernando Alonso was not pleased after his punishment at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Fernando Alonso has raised doubts about the value of participating in the Miami Grand Prix sprint race, following the imposition of additional penalty points in China. The Aston Martin driver expressed frustration over the stewards’ ruling regarding his incident with Carlos Sainz.
Alonso was fighting for the last spot on the podium in Saturday’s sprint race in Shanghai, holding onto P3 as other top contenders closed in. Sainz made the first move, but his clash with Alonso allowed Sergio Perez to slip past behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
The crash dropped Sainz to fifth place, and Alonso had to nurse his damaged car back to the pits and retire. The stewards blamed the 42-year-old for the collision, referring to the ‘guidelines on driving standards’ without providing further details.
Alonso received a 10-second time penalty as a result, but this was rendered moot when he retired from the sprint race, in addition to being issued three penalty points on his license.
Alonso expressed his frustration to DAZN, as reported by Fox Sports Mexico, stating that he does not comprehend these sanctions and does not support them. Particularly, he finds the punishment for license points to be exceptionally severe, which he believes is yet another unprecedented measure.
Alonso raised concerns about his participation in the upcoming sprint race in Miami, questioning whether it’s even worth competing given the points system and the different tires used compared to the main race on Sunday.
Alonso’s accumulation of six penalty points in the past month, including a collision with Sainz and a ‘potentially dangerous driving’ incident resulting in Russell’s crash in Australia, could prove detrimental if he faces further challenges later in the season.
Alonso ranks among the drivers who have faced penalties from F1’s governing body, but it is Perez and Logan Sargeant who have accumulated the highest number of points in the past year, with eight points each. If a driver were to accumulate 12 points within a 12-month period, the FIA would impose a rare race ban.
Alonso bounced back from his unfortunate sprint race setback and secured a third-place qualifying position for the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday. Although he managed to overtake Perez on the opening lap, his Aston Martin couldn’t maintain the required speed to compete at the front of the pack. As a result, he ultimately finished in seventh place.
Alonso’s commitment to Aston Martin was solidified with the signing of a multi-year contract, putting an end to the speculations linking him to Mercedes and Red Bull for the 2025 season. This agreement ensures that Alonso will continue racing well into his mid-forties.
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