2024 Australian Grand Prix - Melbourne, March 22 - 24

[Rikhart]

Wait so he got penalized for *checks notes* trying different driving tactics to stay ahead? This is complete idiocy, some of these days they will penalize you for driving 5% off your usual delta in each track.

"no sorry, you braked 2 meters too soon compared to past 50 laps, penalty"

[djones]

Full disclosure: I don’t like Alonso and I think he is massively overrated.

However, I don’t think there should be a penalty for maximising gaps/speeds in an attempt to defend in this way.

Sure if your stamping on then brakes or swerving. But a cheeky little slow down? All looked fine to me. What do you want….. people not defending and just moving out the way!?

[Aesop]

Full disclosure: I don’t like Alonso and I think he is massively overrated.

However, I don’t think there should be a penalty for maximising gaps/speeds in an attempt to defend in this way.

Sure if your stamping on then brakes or swerving. But a cheeky little slow down? All looked fine to me. What do you want….. people not defending and just moving out the way!?

Lifting 100 meters early in a high speed corner in a F1 car will cause the car to slow down extremely, it’s almost like a braketest. You can’t follow closely if the guy in front of you can exploit tactics like that. It would be the end of racing.

[AMG.Tzan]

Why are the stewards so incompetent??

A driver is in the middle of the track at a very fast blind corner! What are they waiting for?? Just put out the red flag…

[Cs98]

Full disclosure: I don’t like Alonso and I think he is massively overrated.

However, I don’t think there should be a penalty for maximising gaps/speeds in an attempt to defend in this way.

Sure if your stamping on then brakes or swerving. But a cheeky little slow down? All looked fine to me. What do you want….. people not defending and just moving out the way!?

So "cheeky" to brake 100m before the braking zone of a blind corner with a car 0,5s behind you. Cheeky Nando.

Honestly though, if boneheaded moves were allowed under the rules, defending would be the easiest job in the world. The entire skill is doing it without putting the guy behind in mortal danger.

[djones]

Maybe George needs to pay more attention?

Serious question. Given he has a history of crashing late in the race.

[arjen.teravest]

Why are the stewards so incompetent??

A driver is in the middle of the track at a very fast blind corner! What are they waiting for?? Just put out the red flag…

Stewards do not decide on a red flag, that is race control.

[AMG.Tzan]

Why are the stewards so incompetent??

A driver is in the middle of the track at a very fast blind corner! What are they waiting for?? Just put out the red flag…

Stewards do not decide on a red flag, that is race control.

Yeah whoever it is then! Just put out the red flag instantly…

[Seerix]

Why are the stewards so incompetent??

A driver is in the middle of the track at a very fast blind corner! What are they waiting for?? Just put out the red flag…

Stewards do not decide on a red flag, that is race control.

Yeah whoever it is then! Just put out the red flag instantly…

Red flag laptime delta while going back to pit and VSC delta are the same.

[RonMexico]

Will every driver have to push to the last in Monaco now? Short sighted penality imo!

[JordanMugen]

Red flag laptime delta while going back to pit and VSC delta are the same.

But for a 57 lap race, Russell would keep his position since the race would not be restarted.

[KimiRai]

So I guess this means drivers will get drivethroughs for "potentially dangerous driving" [sic]. They didn't lie when they said they were going to be harsh on penalties. Which is fine, but I hope that applies to everyone from now on.

[Cs98]

So I guess this means drivers will get drivethroughs for "potentially dangerous driving" [sic]. They didn't lie when they said they were going to be harsh on penalties. Which is fine, but I hope that applies to everyone from now on.

If you drive erratically and unnecessarily slowly leading another driver to crash you get penalised, end of story. Not penalising this would do the sport a far greater injustice.

[KimiRai]

If you drive erratically and unnecessarily slowly leading another driver to crash you get penalised, end of story. Not penalising this would do the sport a far greater injustice.

Alonso just gave his opinion on the driving erratically issue, might as well share it here:

Double points for the team and a better race pace than the rest of the weekend allowed us to cross the finish line in 6th and 7th place. A bit surprised by a penalty at the end of the race regarding how we should approach the corners or how we should drive the race cars. At no point do we want to do anything wrong at these speeds. I believe that without gravel on that corner, on any other corner in the world we will never be even investigated. In F1, with over 20 years of experience, with epic duels like Imola 2005/2006/ Brazil 2023, changing racing lines, sacrificing entry speed to have good exits from corners is part of the art of motorsport. We never drive at 100% every race lap and every corner, we save fuel, tires, brakes, so being responsible for not making every lap the same is a bit surprising. We have to accept it and think about Japan, to have more pace and fight for positions further up the field. Thank you, team!
@AstonMartinF1

[Cs98]

Where to begin The fact he is honestly trying to sell us that he was "sacrificing entry speed for a better exit" by braking 100m earlier than normal for a high speed corner should tell the rational people on this forum everything they need to know.