Fernando Alonso has lost its third position in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and with it his 100th podium. The pilot of Aston Martin He was penalized after being placed wrong on the starting grid and, when going through the box, he was forced to serve a five-second penalty. During that period of time, no one could touch the Spaniard’s car, but the images detected that one of his mechanics brushed the vehicle with the jack, which was a new punishment and this time for ten seconds.
For this reason, Fernando Alonso loses the podium in favor of George Russell. The Briton benefited from the ten-second penalty, after being his second of the race, and moved up to third place in his Mercedes. The Aston Martin driver, therefore, ends up in fourth position and sees how his second consecutive request is frustrated.
It all happened within the framework of the start penalty. In it, Fernando Alonso placed first after beating Sergio Perez on the first turn, however, the judges detected an incorrect position on the grid. For this reason, the Spaniard was forced to serve a five-second penalty when he made his pit stop.
THE SANCTION OF FERNANDO ALONSO CONFIRMED!
He loses the podium and remains in fourth position after his car was touched in the pit lane#SaudiDAZNF1 🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/FTjMbc4pF8
— DAZN Spain (@DAZN_ES) March 19, 2023
Once he entered the pits, his mechanics waited for the regulation time, that is, the corresponding five seconds, and made the respective tire changes to reach the end of the race. However, once the Grand Prix ended, the images published by the production showed the moment in which one of his mechanics broke the rule.
Aston Martin, very reliable
Despite the blow to Fernando Alonso by depriving him of his 100th podium in Formula 1, the Aston Martin once again proved to be a very solid car and capable of standing up to Red Bull at times. The departure of the Spaniard was one of them, although later the power of the car of Pérez and Verstappen is much higher.
(Victory for Pérez in Saudi Arabia ahead of Verstappen: Alonso is fourth and Sainz sixth)
Once again, Alonso showed that his car is above or, at least, at the level of its most direct competitors, Mercedes and Ferrari. On the Saudi track, he was very reliable and capable of setting times for all of them.
Only the two penalties, five and ten seconds, prevented him from closing a weekend that ends bitterly for Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso. Even so, fourth place continues to keep them behind Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez.
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