Fernando Alonso of the Aston Martin F1 Team AMR24 made a pit stop during the Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 3, Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia on 24.03.2024, which was the race day.
Alonso denied that his action of slowing down into Turn 6 on the final lap of the Australian Grand Prix was a “risky” maneuver that deserved a penalty. The stewards, however, decided to penalize Alonso with a 20-second penalty for his involvement in the incident that caused George Russell to crash out of the race at Turn 6 on the last lap.
Before discussing the matter with race officials, Alonso stated in the media area that he had encountered some issues with his car’s battery and that his Aston Martin had undergone changes in the last 15 laps. He further explained that he was concerned about maintaining his position but was content with finishing in seventh place.
The FIA’s statement regarding the penalty mentioned that Alonso had lifted his foot off the accelerator more than 100 meters earlier than he had done in any previous lap at that corner. Additionally, he applied a slight amount of brake at a point where he normally wouldn’t, although this minimal braking wasn’t the main reason for his car’s deceleration. He also downshifted at an unusual point and then upshifted again before accelerating into the corner, only to lift his foot off the accelerator once more to navigate the turn.
Despite admitting to employing these driving tactics, which ultimately led to his penalty, Alonso believes that any racing driver would have done the same in similar circumstances. He mentioned that George Russell was rapidly closing in on him in the final laps and had been within the range to activate the Drag Reduction System (DRS) for five or six laps. Therefore, Alonso focused on setting fast laps to stay ahead and aimed to maximize his exit speed from Turn Six in order to defend against Russell.
“That’s the kind of action any racing driver would take, and I didn’t perceive it as being risky.
“It’s disappointing to receive a penalty from the stewards for what was tough but fair racing.
“Nevertheless, I’m relieved that George is unharmed. It was unsettling to witness his car in the middle of the track.”
Team Principal Mike Krack expressed his surprise at Alonso’s demotion from sixth to eighth due to the penalty, but acknowledged that the team had to accept the decision.
Regardless, Aston Martin achieved a double points finish at Albert Park as Lance Stroll was elevated from seventh to sixth following the stewards’ intervention.
Alonso believed that Aston’s race pace was lacking this weekend, but commended the team’s strategy for delivering a strong performance.
“We were fortunate with the timing of the Virtual Safety Car when Lewis [Hamilton] retired,” he stated.
“Then I was quite content trailing behind Checo [Perez] because it allowed me to take advantage of the DRS and create a gap.
“I lost significant time when Charles [Leclerc] emerged from the pits – but those seconds we gained proved to be invaluable in the end.
“This wasn’t our strongest weekend in terms of speed, but we executed the race well: solid strategy, exceptional pit-stops, and outstanding reliability.
“I believe we accumulated more points today than our speed warranted – but we’ll gladly accept that.”
With Mercedes failing to secure any points this weekend, Aston Martin now sits just one point behind the Brackley-based team in the Constructors’ standings, with 26 points compared to the Silver Arrows’ 25.