Motorsport Week
  • Formula 1
    • 2025 Formula 1 Calendar
    • 2025 Formula 1 Standings
  • Formula E
    • 2025 Formula E Calendar
    • 2025 Formula E Standings
  • IndyCar
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WRC
    • 2025 WRC Standings
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
  • MotoGP
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
  • WEC
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • IMSA
    • 2025 IMSA Calendar
  • World SBK
  • More
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
  • Formula 1
    • 2025 Formula 1 Calendar
    • 2025 Formula 1 Standings
  • Formula E
    • 2025 Formula E Calendar
    • 2025 Formula E Standings
  • IndyCar
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WRC
    • 2025 WRC Standings
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
  • MotoGP
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
  • WEC
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • IMSA
    • 2025 IMSA Calendar
  • World SBK
  • More
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
Motorsport Week
Home Single Seater Formula 1

Wolff compares Alonso Saudi GP penalty to Abu Dhabi 2021 fiasco

by Taylor Powling
2 years ago
A A
0
Wolff compares Alonso Saudi GP penalty to Abu Dhabi 2021 fiasco

Toto Wolff (GER) Mercedes AMG F1 Shareholder and Executive Director. 25.02.2023. Formula 1 Testing, Sakhir, Bahrain, Day Three.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has drawn comparisons between Fernando Alonso’s penalty in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and the handling of the 2021 title showdown in Abu Dhabi.

The entire Mercedes team were left despaired at the end of 2021 by the manufacturing of a final lap shootout between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen that witnessed the Brit controversially miss out on a record-breaking eighth Formula 1 Drivers’ title.

Consequently, an investigation was launched and then FIA race director Michael Masi was removed from his position, with the FIA implementing a new structure for the following year that saw two race directors share duties.

Complaints over the inconsistency of decisions reigned, however, prompting Neils Wittich to subsequently be placed as the sole individual in charge at every F1 grand prix for 2023.

RelatedPosts

The Race Makers were on hand to assist a record crowd at the 2025 F1 British GP

The Race Makers: The stars behind the scenes at Silverstone

7 hours ago
Christian Horner was emotional as he expressed Red Bull staff

Christian Horner’s parting speech to Red Bull F1 staff revealed

10 hours ago

But the introduction of a grid box rule to strictly monitor drivers’ placement on the starting grid has created further confusion at the start of the latest season, with Fernando Alonso being stripped of his third-place finish in Saudi Arabia before then being reinstated.

Although Alonso appeared to serve his five-second time penalty correctly for being out of position at the start and attended the podium ceremony, the Aston Martin driver was handed a further 10s penalty when the stewards adjudged the rear jackman had touched the car at the Spaniard’s stop.

After Aston Martin successfully overturned the second penalty handed to Alonso to retain third, Wolff used Mercedes’ Abu Dhabi heartbreak as supporting evidence that the sport’s governing body needs to prioritise that the right decisions are made rather than rushed ones.

“First of all, the penalty was super harsh because from the pure driving performance Fernando and Aston Martin deserved to be on the podium,” Wolff said in an interview with Channel 4.

“We have to look at those regulations and see is there is anything we can tweak because it didn’t affect his race.

“I’d rather have the FIA come to the right decisions than be too quick and obviously fall into something that’s wrong.

“We’ve been victims of that in 2021 where everything was down to the entertainment for a quick decision and it robbed the greatest driver of the championships.

“So in that respect, I think I’d rather not go to the podium and have the correct result afterwards.”

Along with Wolff, Mercedes driver George Russell criticised the contentious situation that unfolded in the aftermath of the Jeddah race.

The British driver was rewarded with the third-place trophy before having to hand it back once Alonso was reinstalled into third the same night.

Russell has since asked for “common sense” to be applied to the new regulation regarding drivers’ correctly lining up in their grid box, with the Red Bull pairing of Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen also suggesting that the rule needs to be looked at.

All three participants appearing in the FIA post-race press conference after the Saudi Arabian GP agreed that visibility in the current formula of cars makes it hard to line up within the painted guidelines.

Alonso’s penalty was the second in two races after his former Alpine team-mate, Esteban Ocon, was penalised in Bahrain for a similar infraction.

Tags: F1Fernando AlonsoMercedesSaudiGPWolff
Share201Tweet126Share

Related Posts

The Race Makers were on hand to assist a record crowd at the 2025 F1 British GP
Feature

The Race Makers: The stars behind the scenes at Silverstone

7 hours ago
Christian Horner was emotional as he expressed Red Bull staff
Formula 1

Christian Horner’s parting speech to Red Bull F1 staff revealed

10 hours ago
Paddock atmosphere - Red Bull Racing logo at sunset. 21.03.2025. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 2, Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai, China, Sprint Qualifying Day
Formula 1

Red Bull sees further dismissals from F1 team amid Christian Horner exit

10 hours ago
Load More

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Upcoming Races

#EventDate
13Belgian GP25-27 July
14Hungarian GP01-03 August
15Dutch GP29-31 August
16Italian GP05-07 September
17Azerbaijan GP19-21 September

Click here for the full 2025 F1 calendar

Drivers’  Standings

#DriverPts
Oscar Piastri234
Lando Norris226
Max Verstappen165
George Russell147
Charles Leclerc120
Lewis Hamilton103
Andrea Kimi Antonelli63
Alexander Albon44
Nico Hulkenberg37
Isack Hadjar28

Click here for full Drivers’ Standings

Latest Articles

The Race Makers were on hand to assist a record crowd at the 2025 F1 British GP
Feature

The Race Makers: The stars behind the scenes at Silverstone

July 9, 2025
Christian Horner was emotional as he expressed Red Bull staff
Formula 1

Christian Horner’s parting speech to Red Bull F1 staff revealed

July 9, 2025
Paddock atmosphere - Red Bull Racing logo at sunset. 21.03.2025. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 2, Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai, China, Sprint Qualifying Day
Formula 1

Red Bull sees further dismissals from F1 team amid Christian Horner exit

July 9, 2025

Follow Motorsport Week

Join our daily motorsport newsletter

* indicates required

Motorsport Week

© 2024 Motorsport Media Services Ltd

Other Links

  • About & Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Motorsport Monday

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Home
  • Formula 1
    • Latest News
    • 2025 F1 Calendar
    • 2025 F1 Championship Standings
  • Formula E
    • Latest News
    • 2025 FE Calendar
    • 2025 FE Championship Standings
  • MotoGP
    • Latest News
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
  • WRC
    • Latest News
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
    • 2025 WRC Standings
  • IndyCar
    • Latest News
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WEC
    • Latest News
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • Live Updates
  • Other
    • IMSA
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
  • Galleries
  • About/Contact
  • Privacy Policy

© 2024 Motorsport Media Services Ltd