Fernando Alonso of Spain, racing for Aston Martin, has been penalized by the race stewards at the 2024 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. The stewards determined that Alonso’s driving leading up to Turn 6 played a role in George Russell’s crash on the last lap. As a result, Alonso has been given a 20-second time penalty.
Onboard footage showed Alonso’s Aston Martin slowing down as he approached Turn 6, while Russell’s Mercedes was rapidly closing in from behind. Russell ultimately lost control and crashed into the barriers. Thankfully, Russell was uninjured, but his race was cut short and he lost valuable points.
After the race, both drivers were summoned to meet with the stewards for a lengthy discussion. The stewards considered input from both drivers, as well as team representatives. They also analyzed various data and evidence, including positioning/marshalling system data, video footage, team radio communications, in-car video, and telemetry provided by both teams.
According to a statement from the FIA, Alonso explained to the stewards that he intended to approach Turn 6 differently by lifting earlier and entering the corner with less speed in order to achieve a better exit. On the other hand, Russell stated that Alonso’s maneuver was erratic and caught him by surprise, causing him to close the distance unusually quickly. This, combined with reduced downforce at the apex of the corner, led to Russell losing control and crashing.
Telemetry data revealed that Alonso lifted slightly earlier than usual on the final lap, as well as applied additional braking in a section of the corner where he typically didn’t. He then upshifted and accelerated before lifting again to navigate the corner. Alonso admitted that while his plan was to slow down earlier, he made a slight miscalculation and had to take extra steps to regain speed.
In considering whether a penalty was warranted, the stewards referred to Article 33.4 of the regulations, which prohibits driving in a manner that is unnecessarily slow, erratic, or potentially dangerous to other drivers or individuals. The stewards acknowledged Alonso’s right to change his approach to a corner for a better exit and did not attribute any blame to him for the “dirty air” that contributed to Russell’s crash. However, they also concluded that Alonso’s driving, as he himself admitted, was potentially dangerous.
Consequently, the stewards imposed a 20-second time penalty on Alonso, which affected his final race time. This penalty resulted in Alonso being demoted to eighth place in the final classification. As a result, his teammate Lance Stroll and Yuki Tsunoda of RB moved up one position each.