Last weekend in Shanghai, neither Fernando Alonso nor Lance Stroll escaped without a penalty: the Spaniard received 10 seconds even after the sprint race – although he was eliminated, so it didn’t count – as well as 3 penalty points for colliding with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz during a battle, while the Canadian was awarded 10 seconds at the grand prix, and subsequently two points, because he simply punched VCARB’s Daniel Ricciardo from behind during the first safety car restart.
The Aston Martin drivers both felt the penalties were unfair, as did team principal Mike Krack.
“Yes, the stewards are strict with Fernando and Lance these days. We were also penalized in the sprint, but already in Melbourne” – indicated that Alonso was also penalized for his deceleration tricks that occurred in the penultimate lap of the Australian Grand Prix, which resulted in the overturning of Mercedes’ George Russell.
“In the case of Lance, the decision was made very quickly… I think the judgment was very, very quick and very strict, but it is what it is. As far as I was concerned, it was a simple chain reaction. Fernando also braked hard, others behind him, the situation surprised everyone a little. We were glad that both our cars got away. It started much earlier, I would have liked it to be thoroughly reviewed. We tried to communicate with the stewards, but they quickly put Lance in charge, in addition to the damage to his front wing, he also received a 10-second penalty.” the boss echoed his pilot’s arguments.
“Last time, in Melbourne, the driver in front [Alonsót] was punished, moreover, without consultation” Krack highlighted the perceived contradiction.
“It’s frustrating, but on the other hand, we’re all human, we all make mistakes. Of course, the best recipe for avoiding penalties is to drive away in a fast car, Max [Verstappent] they are not usually punished. It is our job to give such a car to our competitors” he stated.
When asked by a journalist whether the competition judges might have singled them out, Krack answered: “It’s interesting that you ask this, they say you have the same impression.”
“At the beginning of the year, there was a general consensus that the punishments are stricter this year. At the same time, everyone wants to see action in the sprint, and it was, we fought hard and in the end we came out the worst, and on top of that we even got a penalty. After the race, we spend hours with the stewards… I don’t think Alonso’s punishment was fair.”
“After yesterday, today’s incident is here. Others push cars out, no penalty, but there was also contact between the Ferraris, they didn’t leave a place, but it didn’t matter. Fernando? Well, he gets the 10 seconds right away! If this continues, Fernando will not escape the ban. Lance also got two penalty points today, so they’ve been coming along well lately.” complained the team leader.
Alonso currently sits on 6 points with 3 each in Melbourne and Shanghai, while Stroll has a total of 7 – if a driver accumulates 12 points in 12 months, they are automatically banned for the next round. Points expire one year after issue.
While the stewards awarded a total of 2 penalty points during the first five rounds of the 2023 season, this year their number is already 18.
