Former F1 Team Principal criticizes "Outrageous" Fernando Alonso penalty decision at Saudi Arabia GP

Former Formula 1 team principal Paul Stoddart has criticized the handling of Fernando Alonso's time penalty at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, calling for more to be done to prevent "joke decisions" in the sport. Alonso had initially been demoted to fourth place following a five-second penalty for incorrectly positioning his car on the grid at the start of the race. He served the penalty at his pit stop on lap 18, but stewards then penalized him a further 10 seconds at the conclusion of the race for "working" on the car when the rear jack made contact with it before the five seconds had elapsed.

However, the decision was later reversed after Aston Martin successfully argued that there had been past instances of drivers not being penalized for similar incidents. The team presented minutes from a recent meeting of F1's sports advisory group, which had addressed seven distinct instances of cars being touched in this manner by the jack without penalty. Aston Martin argued that there was an understanding between the teams and the governing body that "touching the car in any way, even with a jack, would not constitute 'working' on the car."

Stoddart was scathing in his assessment of the situation, calling the FIA's handling of the matter a "joke" and questioning the need for such penalties in the first place. "Where that Aston Martin was, a couple of inches to the left of the white line? Come on, guys. Is there a racing advantage to be had by doing that? No. Did Fernando get anything out of that? No," he said.

Stewards also under fire

Stoddart also criticized the stewards' decision to penalize Fernando Alonso for "working" on the car, arguing that the rules had not changed since his time as a team principal and that being present while the car was being serviced did not constitute working on it. "I mean, what are we doing? Are we racing, or are we having a laugh here? It's absolutely outrageous," he said.

The incident highlights the ongoing debate around the consistency and fairness of F1's stewarding decisions. While the rules may be clear in theory, their interpretation and application can often be subjective and open to debate. As such, it is perhaps unsurprising that teams and drivers will seek to argue their case whenever possible, particularly when the stakes are as high as they are in a championship race.

Ultimately, the controversy surrounding Alonso's penalty and its subsequent reversal serves as a reminder of the need for greater clarity and consistency in the application of F1's rules and regulations. While some degree of subjectivity will always be present, the sport must strive to ensure that its decisions are fair, transparent, and consistent, in order to maintain the integrity of the competition and the trust of its fans.