Saudi Arabian GP: Why Was Fernando Alonso Handed a Penalty in 2023?

In Formula 1, races aren’t just about who crosses the finish line first; they’re often defined by the intricate rules and technicalities that govern the sport. One such example of how important rules are to the sport was when Fernando Alonso was served a 10-second penalty that almost cost him his 100th podium. And there is no better time to take a look at it than right before the 2024 Saudi Grand Prix.

In 2023, at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, the Spanish world champion found himself amid controversy when he was penalized for an incorrect positioning on the starting grid. This resulted in a five-second penalty, a seemingly minor setback in the grand scheme. But this was made into a 10-second penalty soon after the stewards reviewed the first 5-second penalty stop and found something fishy.

The penalty that cost a podium until it didn’t

Fernando Alonso started his race with a penalty, but he played it smart and served it when the safety car was brought out for his teammate. During the pitstop, the rule is to not work on the car for as long as the penalty is served. But when Alonso got into the pit stop, the rear jack touched the car before the penalty was served.

Although this was missed during the pit stop, the stewards were presumably tipped to check it later and that’s when the penalty was extended to 10 seconds. By the time this was done, the race was already on its last lap and the penalty was to be served after the race.

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But the news of this was not disclosed until Fernando Alonso had already celebrated on the podium. From a quick glance at the situation, it would be difficult to understand why Alonso’s penalty was increased. This led to George Russell climbing the podium for a while, only to be taken down for Alonso again.

How did they dismiss Fernando Alonso’s penalty?

After Fernando Alonso was penalized for the pitstop, Aston Martin’s defense strategy threw a curveball into the mix. Leveraging a loophole in the regulations, they argued that if touching the front jack during a pit stop was permissible, why should touching the rear jack be penalized? This argument, backed by a consensus among teams during a sporting advisory committee, ultimately led to the cancellation of Alonso’s penalty.

Moreover, the incident sparked discussions about Article 16.3, which dictates that the notification time for penalties imposed on competitors is 25 minutes. But Alonso’s penalty was announced towards the end of the race. While justifying their decision to overturn the penalty, the stewards stated, “There was no clear agreement, as was suggested to the Stewards previously, that could be relied upon to determine that parties had agreed that a jack touching a car would amount to working on the car… In the circumstances, we considered that our original decision to impose a penalty on Car 14 needed to be reversed and we did so accordingly.”

Despite claims of a violation, it was ultimately determined that the regulations were upheld, further showcasing the meticulousness with which Formula 1 operates. If you know any more stories about when a given ruling was taken back by F1, let us know in the comments below.