Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso has been demoted for being found to have not served his five-second penalty correctly during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Despite contact with the rear of his car appearing to be minimal, a strict enforcement of the rule has come into place from the FIA and a 10-second penalty was applied, dropping Alonso down a place and putting him back down to 99 career podiums in Formula 1. The Spaniard had already been penalised for lining up in his grid slot incorrectly at the start, his Aston Martin being parked too far to the left and the stewards responding by forcing the Aston Martin driver to wait in his pit box for five seconds before his car could be worked on at his first stop. Fernando Alonso has been demoted from the podium by the FIA stewards for being found to have not served his five-second penalty correctly during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, being given a further 10-second penalty after one of his mechanics made contact with his car before the five seconds had elapsed in the pit lane.

Aston Martin pit crew found to have broken rules after podium ceremony.

Today we didn’t put on a good show for the fans.” You cannot apply a penalty 35 laps after the pit stop. [Sergio Perez](/sport/formula-one/sergio-perez-saudi-arabian-grand-prix-max-verstappen-b1068407.html) and [Max Verstappen](/topic/max-verstappen).

The Spanish driver was handed a five-second penalty at the beginning of the race due to being misplaced in his grid box, which he served during a pitstop.

The decision elevated George Russell into third, giving Mercedes its first podium finish of the year. Alonso had served a five-second penalty ahead of his first ...

"Today is not good for the fans," the Spaniard said. "If he was third in the race he should enjoy the podium and not me, I feel sorry for George, for Mercedes sponsors, for George's fans." "I feel sorry for the fans, but I enjoyed the podium, I took the trophy, I have the pictures, I celebrate with the champagne, and now 15 or 12 points doesn't change much for me, but it is a little bit sad for the FIA, yes."

Fernando Alonso has been given a time penalty at the end of the Saudi Arabian GP.

[Alpine driver was given a hat-trick of penalties](https://racingnews365.com/alpine-explain-spiralling-events-that-led-to-ocon-penalty-hat-trick). [George Russell](/formula-1-drivers/george-russell) to fourth place, denying him of his 100th podium. [Lance Stroll](/formula-1-drivers/lance-stroll).

Fernando Alonso enjoyed a dream launch as the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix got under way, surging past Sergio Perez, who 24 hours previously had claimed his ...

Enjoy the race start from the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in the video above. [LIVE COVERAGE: All the action from the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-formula-1-stc-saudi-arabian-grand-prix-2023.tJNzmr7b9ghdICXhSpeR7.html) RACE START: Alonso pinches the lead from pole-sitter Perez as the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix gets under way

Fernando Alonso may have celebrated his 100th rostrum appearance in F1 at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – but the joy was short-lived, ...

Fernando Alonso may have celebrated his 100th rostrum appearance in F1 at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – but the joy was short-lived, after the stewards handed him a 10-second penalty after the race that dropped him to P4. [stunning launch](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.race-start-alonso-pinches-the-lead-from-pole-sitter-perez-as-the-saudi.Ejca9YDdgebxPEujCuE73.html) from second on the grid to pass pole-sitter and eventual race winner Sergio Perez into Turn 1. Well, let F1 TV presenter Alex Brundle explain all…

Fernando Alonso has hit out at the FIA after a post-race 10-second time penalty demoted him from third to fourth at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

So I cannot really say at the moment where this is going to go," Krack told Sky Sports F1. "I was on the podium, I did pictures, I took the trophy, I celebrated and now I have apparently three points less. "They had enough time to inform about the penalty. OK, let's try and recover in Australia." [Stream the biggest moments on NOW](https://www.nowtv.com/promo/sky-sports?dcmp=articlelink) Even though the incident happened on the 19th lap, Alonso was only handed the penalty after the race and celebrations had been completed, prompting him to call the decision a "poor show" from the FIA.

Alonso took his place on the podium before being hit with a second time penalty of the day in Jeddah.

I care but I don’t care that much - I celebrated but I have three points less.” “You cannot apply a penalty 35 laps after the pit stop. I don’t understand fully the second penalty.

Fernando Alonso's joy has turned to heartbreak in an instant in Jeddah on Monday morning (AEDT) after being stripped of his 100th podium finish for failing ...

While the stewards’ decision was made on the basis that the teams had previously agreed that “no part of the car could be touched while a penalty was being served as this would constitute working on the car,” Aston Martin claimed in their appeal that this was incorrect, and that simply touching the car of itself, including with a jack, did not constitute “working” on the car for the purposes of the Sporting Regulations. Teams have a a right of review of sporting decisions, and a clearly agitated Aston Martin submitted a letter to the stewards appealing the decision to give Alonso the additional 10-second penalty. With a similar incident happening to Alpine’s Estaban Ocon in Bahrain in the first race of the season, the precedent had been well established for Alonso to be handed an additional 10-second time penalty, dropping him from P3 to P4. The pace of the Aston Martin kept Alonso in a strong position for the rest of the race, coming home third behind a victorious Sergio Perez, as well as a surging Max Verstappen who charged from 15th on the grid to second. It was, however, short-lived, with Alonso handed a 5-second time penalty for lining up outside of his grid box, ending up about half a tyre’s width to the left of his P2 spot. The F1 world is in a frenzy after Fernando Alonso had his milestone 100th podium stripped from him, only to have it returned to him on appeal.

Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso insists the decision to strip him of what would have been his 100th career podium “doesn't hurt much”, but admits the FIA had ...

“I was on the podium, I did the pictures, I took the trophy, I celebrate with champagne and yeah, now I have apparently three points less. “They told me just five seconds in the first 15, and I opened seven or eight [seconds]. Then in the second [penalty], there was no information at all. They had enough time to inform of the penalty. was incorrect and therefore the basis of the stewards decision was wrong,” the appeal statement said. You cannot apply [the penalty] 35 laps after the pit stop.

Sergio Perez holds off team-mate Max Verstappen to take a Red Bull one-two in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Alonso was too far to the left, and had his left-hand wheels out of the grid box on the track. He served it at his pit stop under the safety car but towards the end of the race Mercedes told Russell to push as hard as he could to keep the margin between the two cars to less than five seconds in case Alonso was penalised for the pit stop itself. In the stop, the mechanic at the back of the car touched it with the rear jack before the penalty time was up and the stewards punished him post-race, giving Russell his first "podium" of the season, even though Alonso stood on it with Red Bull drivers. Verstappen set his mind on trying to set fastest lap and clinched it on the final lap - stealing it from Perez - to ensure he leads the championship by virtue of the point he gained for setting it. Perez was 5.4 seconds in front by the time Verstappen got into second place and was able to hold the margin at about that same amount for the rest of the race. He served it in his pit stop, but it was adjudged that the team had broken the rules by touching the car before the five seconds had elapsed and he was given a 10-second penalty as a result, promoting Russell to third.

F1 Saudi Arabian GP Highlights: Alonso finished third but dropped down to fourth after receiving a 10-second time penalty for incorrectly serving his ...

Perez was about to take the lead in the championship too, but Verstappen ripped a fastest final lap to stay ahead, leading the championship at the end of a whopping 19th successive race. In a post-race twist, Fernando Alonso was denied his 100th podium after receiving a 10-second penalty for incorrectly serving the five-second penalty he got at the race start. Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, F1 Race Highlights: Even though Max Verstappen surged past the rest of the grid, coming up from 15th to 2nd on the grid, Sergio Perez kept his cool brilliantly to keep his lead – over 5 seconds throughout – over his teammate to win the race.

Fernando Alonso has been reinstated to third position at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to cap a farcical couple of hours which followed the podium ceremony.

"This topic will therefore be addressed at the next Sporting Advisory Committee taking place on Thursday, 23 March, and a clarification will be issued ahead of the 2023 FIA Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. An FIA statement said: "The request to the Stewards for review of the initial decision (Document 51) was made in the last lap of the race. The subsequent decision of the stewards to hear and grant the Right of Review by the Competitor was the result of new evidence regarding the definition of 'working on the car', for which there were conflicting precedents, and this has been exposed by this specific circumstance.

The decision elevated George Russell into third, giving Mercedes its first podium finish of the year. Alonso had served a five-second penalty ahead of his first ...

"Today is not good for the fans," the Spaniard said. "If he was third in the race he should enjoy the podium and not me, I feel sorry for George, for Mercedes sponsors, for George's fans." "I feel sorry for the fans, but I enjoyed the podium, I took the trophy, I have the pictures, I celebrate with the champagne and now 15 or 12 points doesn't change much for me, but it is a little bit sad for the FIA, yes."

Fernando Alonso hit out at the FIA after a post-race 10-second time penalty temporarily demoted him from third to fourth at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, ...

Alonso was extremely critical of the sport's governing body, telling Sky Sports F1 after the race: "I was on the podium, I did pictures, I took the trophy, I celebrated and now I have apparently three points less. "Today, we didn't put on a good show for our fans. They had enough time to inform about the penalty. No advantage came from it." You cannot apply a penalty 35 laps after the pit stop. [Stream the biggest moments on NOW](https://www.nowtv.com/promo/sky-sports?dcmp=articlelink)

Fernando Alonso accused Formula One's governing body of lacking common sense after he was stripped of his 100th career podium at the Saudi Arabian Grand ...

“The penalty on Fernando was harsh,” he said. “I feel sorry for the fans. “Today is not good for the fans,” he said.

Despite finishing in P3 in Sunday's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah Corniche Circuit — and partaking in the podium celebration along with Sergio Pérez and ...

And as Alonso himself stated after the Grand Prix, “[w]hen you have 35 laps to apply the penalty and you wait until after the podium, there is something wrong in the system.” “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.” This was likely the correct result, but the bigger question might be this: Why did it take so long for Alonso and Aston Martin to be told this was even a possibility? While the team believed they were “in the clear,” they wanted to be as safe as possible. The race went on, and Alonso maintained his spot in third place behind the Red Bull duo. When a safety car came out after his teammate Lance Stroll suffered a failure, Alonso served that five-second penalty during his pit stop.

Fernando Alonso has been reinstated to third position at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to cap a farcical couple of hours which followed the podium ceremony.

"This topic will therefore be addressed at the next Sporting Advisory Committee taking place on Thursday, 23 March, and a clarification will be issued ahead of the 2023 FIA Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. An FIA statement said: "The request to the Stewards for review of the initial decision (Document 51) was made in the last lap of the race. The subsequent decision of the stewards to hear and grant the Right of Review by the Competitor was the result of new evidence regarding the definition of 'working on the car', for which there were conflicting precedents, and this has been exposed by this specific circumstance.

Alonso was stripped of third place after the race accused of not serving a penalty properly but, after a review, the decision has been overturned and he is ...

We therefore proceeded to hear the substance of the request for review. But a report on the last lap provided new TV evidence that the rear jack may have touched the car, which the FIA said constituted working on the car. But minutes later, another document was published showing that Aston Martin had appealed the decision. The stewards did not examine the matter further thereafter." Seconds after Alonso tweeted to celebrate the podium, the governing body released an official document in which it appeared to double down on the penalty. After discussions behind the scenes, Alonso's 10-second penalty has been rescinded and the 41-year-old has his 100th career [Formula 1](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/) podium after all.

Fernando Alonso is reinstated to third place in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after stewards overturn their earlier decision to demote him.

It's good that there is a rule in place, but at the same time, sometimes it's like luck, to be honest, where you position yourself." Perez said: "I just overdid it and I stopped too early, but you have no idea when you are in the car. But a 10-second is too extreme in that case again." "At the end of the day, we've got to stick within the guidelines. It is a bit sad for the FIA." Alonso added: "Today is not good for the fans.

Fernando Alonso finished third at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix but was detonated to fourth following a 10-second penalty which Aston Martin appealed to ...

The Red Bulls are out of reach, but the rest were behind us so I’m happy with that." They had enough time to inform us. “You can’t apply the penalty 35 laps after the pit-stop. I was on the podium, I took the pictures, I got the trophy. [ALSO READ I celebrated with the champagne."

Fernando Alonso has been reinstated to third position at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to cap a farcical couple of hours which followed the podium ceremony.

"This topic will therefore be addressed at the next Sporting Advisory Committee taking place on Thursday, 23 March, and a clarification will be issued ahead of the 2023 FIA Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. An FIA statement said: "The request to the Stewards for review of the initial decision (Document 51) was made in the last lap of the race. The subsequent decision of the stewards to hear and grant the Right of Review by the Competitor was the result of new evidence regarding the definition of 'working on the car', for which there were conflicting precedents, and this has been exposed by this specific circumstance.

Red Bull's Sergio Perez took victory in Sunday's Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, as teammate Max Verstappen salvaged second place after starting 15th.

Aston Martin and Mercedes are a long way back in second and third place, with both teams on 38 points. In the end, it's a massive team result." Verstappen had started the race well down the order after a driveshaft issue had ruined his qualifying session, but a Safety Car period on Lap 18 helped him vault up the order, and the Dutchman was up to second place behind Perez by Lap 25.

Sergio Perez won the Formula One Saudi Arabia Grand Prix as Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen finished second and Mercedes' George Russell in third.

We settled for second which was a very good recovery. I was in second, we had a big gap. The team did a fantastic job, the team have worked so hard over the week, we’ve had a lot of mechanical issues and these guys have been on top of that. It took him only a few seconds to pass Russell and Alonso didn’t last long, either, making it a Red Bull shootout. He was closely followed by the Mercedes pair George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. I was after the victory last year and finally I got it.

Perez crossed the line 5.3 seconds clear of team-mate Verstappen, who fought back from 15th after he limped out of qualifying with a driveshaft failure.

We have got the fastest car, and I am very happy about that.” We have got the fastest car, and I am very happy about that He was also shown a black and white flag by the stewards for weaving on the straight as he earlier attempted to keep Leclerc back. After it all shuffled out the Dutchman was up to fourth. But Hamilton’s night suddenly changed for the better when Lance Stroll broke down in his Aston Martin on lap 18. [Fernando Alonso](/topic/fernando-alonso) took the final spot on the podium, but was given a 10-second time penalty post-race due to an infringement on how his Aston Martin served an earlier five-second penalty, with George Russell taking third instead.

Australian GP: F1's governing body, the FIA, has confirmed that the circumstances surrounding Fernando Alonso losing his podium finish at the Saudi Arabian ...

“The subsequent decision of the stewards to hear and grant the Right of Review by the Competitor was the result of new evidence regarding the definition of ‘working on the car’, for which there were conflicting precedents, and this has been exposed by this specific circumstance. “The request to the Stewards for review of the initial decision (Document 51) was made in the last lap of the race,” began the spokesperson’s message. Australian GP: F1’s governing body, the FIA, has confirmed that the circumstances surrounding Fernando Alonso losing his podium finish at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and then its reinstatement, will be addressed before the next round in Australia.

Fernando Alonso won the 100th podium of his Formula One career at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday, but the result was only confirmed hours after the ...

The result leaves Alonso third in the driver standings on 30 points behind Verstappen and Perez. “I am happy in the end with the result tonight and our second podium,” said Alonso. [said](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.fia-to-issue-rule-clarification-ahead-of-australian-grand-prix-after-alonso.5FUrjmGaw3vY9vQ3tX3zmP.html) that a request to review the 10-second penalty was made in the final lap of the race and that the definition of “working on the car” will be clarified ahead of the Australian Grand Prix next month. “I was on the podium, I did pictures, I took the trophy, I celebrated with champagne and now I have apparently three points less – I don’t have 15, I have 12,” Alonso [Fernando Alonso](http://www.cnn.com/2023/03/02/motorsport/fernando-alonso-formula-one-aston-martin-spt-intl/index.html) won the 100th podium of his Formula One career at the [Saudi Arabian Grand Prix](http://www.cnn.com/2023/03/19/motorsport/sergio-perez-saudi-arabia-grand-prix-spt-intl/index.html) on Sunday, but the result was only confirmed hours after the end of the race when officials reversed a 10-second penalty. That meant the penalty had not been served correctly and Alonso was given a further 10-second sanction, promoting Mercedes driver George Russell to third place at the end of the race.

There was a highly unusual end to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday as Fernando Alonso had his podium taken away from him, and then given back again.

It was certainly a relief for the Aston Martin mechanic who was initially judged to have touched the car whilst the first penalty is being served. It is the latest in a long line of events where the FIA have created confusion and taken a long time to make decisions that affect the final positions of the race. Suddenly, it seemed Alonso would have to wait for the 100th podium of his career.

Fernando Alonso's 100th F1 career podium will be remembered for the bizarre sequence of events which followed it. Here's how it all unfolded and why there ...

Aston Martin was granted its right to review after sending both the minutes of the SAC meeting and video evidence of seven different instances where a jack had touched a car during a penalty similar to the one Alonso served during the race which were not penalised. It was hoped this had cleared the matter up, but based on its own interpretation of what was actually written in the rules and backed up by previous examples of time penalties being served at pit stops, Aston Martin did not believe that a jack touching the car constituted work taking place. It was only on the final lap that race control had shared a new report with the stewards stating that ROC now did not think the penalty had been properly observed and requesting a full stewards' investigation. Alonso served his penalty at his pit stop on lap 18, during a safety car period triggered by the retirement of his teammate Lance Stroll. F1's sporting regulations dictate that five-second time penalties must be served at the driver's next pit stop, with the clock starting once the car has become stationary and mechanics waiting five seconds before starting work on the car. A yellow line is painted to the right-hand side of the white grid markings to give drivers a visual reference of how far forward they are in their slot, but lining up between the lines relies entirely on the driver's approach to their position.

Racing News: Fernando Alonso took the 100th podium of his career after being reinstated as the third-placed finisher at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix early ...

The Red Bulls are out of reach, but the rest were behind us so I'm happy with that." "You can't apply the penalty 35 laps after the pit-stop. I was on the podium, I took the pictures, I got the trophy. "These guys have made a fantastic car, a fantastic execution of the race here and in Bahrain, with the strategy and now two podiums. I celebrated with the champagne." "In the circumstances, we considered that our original decision to impose a penalty on Car 14 (Alonso) needed to be reversed and we did so accordingly."