Fans Break Down Fernando Alonso's Controversial 20-Second Penalty In Australia
Channel: Going Off Track With Kathryn & Emily
Date: 27/03/2024

Full Episode: https://youtu.be/V5AUMEFHglA

❓Did Fernando Alonso’s driving at the end of the Grand Prix in Australia warrant a 20-second penalty❓

The FIA report asserts that it was “potentially dangerous driving”, but also states that Alonso was not at fault for the dirty air that was created behind his car, which led to George Russell’s last-lap crash.

🤔So, which is it?

Was he actually at fault or not? 

The FIA doesn’t make that clear, but does make clear that they intended to penalize Alonso no matter what, to the point that Aston Martin’s Team Principal Mike Krack has confirmed that the team will not be exerting their Right of Review, because they know the result will, fairly or not, remain unchanged.

As we discus in our full Australian Grand Prix Reaction episode, Alonso’s penalty could be the beginnings of a slippery slope of drivers using the excuse that they “didn’t expect” a move from the driver ahead, in order to penalize the defending driver. 

Or the fact that Alonso was basically penalized for driving the car differently at the end of the race, compared to the beginning, which is only natural over the course of a race, and is kind of the whole point of racing.

And this isn’t the first time tricky precedent has bit the FIA in the backside either. See: failing to penalize the Ferrari drivers in Monza 2023 for breaching the minimum lap time, which means no one can actually get penalized for breaching the minimum lap time (Kathryn’s still annoyed over that one, in case you were wondering).

Our full Australian Grand Prix reaction episode is live now wherever you listen to podcasts, as long as those places are 🟣Apple Podcasts and 🟢Spotify (both linked in our bio), or the official 🔴Going Off Track YouTube channel. 

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