F1 Driver’s Conference Delivers Comedic Gold, Leaving Fernando Alonso With Disappointed Outcome

The pinnacle of motorsport, F1, is nothing without its drivers. And keeping that in mind, driver safety has come a long way in this open-wheel racing competition. The introduction of the halo among various regulations was not on a whim. There is a large community applying and overseeing such implementations.

As we all know, the FIA is the ruling body of F1 that protects the interests of most motorsports competitions. However, there is a body that protects the interests of the drivers alone, called the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA). And thanks to the GPDA in the Friday briefing, recent incidents were reviewed to get a better understanding of the penalties levied on the drivers.

During the briefing, all drivers informally voted whether a penalty was correctly awarded or not after reviewing incident footage. One such incident was Alonso’s weaving penalty incident at the Canadian GP for blocking Bottas in the penultimate lap.

The weaving maneuver was so apart from footage of the incident replayed from various angles that it invoked laughter among the audience. However, during the informal vote, the verdict was not unanimous. The footage convinced the majority of the drivers present at the briefing, except two.

The two still in contention were Esteban Ocon and the guilty party, Fernando Alonso. The Alpine men did not agree with the five-second penalty, which demoted Alonso to P9.

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Apparently, the penalty has been a topic of debate during most drivers’ briefings ever since the Canadian GP. Alonso’s protests might’ve gotten him a platform to make his case. However, the Spaniard will have to concede for the Canadian GP incident.

Other penalties that were reviewed by F1 drivers ahead of the French GP

Alonso’s monologues at previous drivers’ briefings might’ve invoked the penalty review practice. However, his incident wasn’t the only one up for debate and vote.

During the briefing, Russell’s nudge on Perez was revised and most drivers voted it was a correct decision from race control. Many drivers felt the stewards should’ve penalized Albon for his incident with Vettel during the Austrian race.

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This initiative, pushed by the GPDA, is a constructive practice that might lead to a better understanding of the rules. And this will significantly reduce the drivers’ briefing time as well. A win-win!