Fernando Alonso has reason to be angry, and he’s not alone. Other drivers who should have finished the Canadian Grand Prix in better positions were penalized for breaking the rules at the end of the race. But that’s not how it went, and the explanations have not convinced anyone.
Overtaking with the Safety Car
The race in Canada ended with the safety car on the track after Lando Norris crashed in the final laps of the race while trying to overtake his teammate, Oscar Piastri. However, when it came to crossing the finish line, the Safety Car entered the pits so that the drivers could cross the finish line cleanly, without interference, but at no point was the danger on the track declared over. In fact, during the lap back to the pits, the signals indicating that the Safety Car was still out remained illuminated on the track.
However, some drivers, Kimi Antonelli, Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Esteban Ocon, and Pierre Gasly, ignored the signs and, once they had crossed the finish line, overtook the drivers in front of them, an illegal action that is clearly stated in the regulations.
Once in the media, some drivers, such as Fernando Alonso, denounced what had happened and asked for penalties to be imposed, although the outcome was already expected. If these penalties had been imposed, he could have finished fourth in the race, which would have meant a significant number of points for him and the team.
The FIA’s explanations
The FIA took five hours to decide that there would be no penalty. This was the statement they released:
“Although overtaking after the checkered flag is not unusual, it is prohibited in the event of yellow flags, Safety Car or Virtual Safety Car procedures.
“Although the drivers knew where the incident had occurred, they could not know whether emergency equipment or marshals were being sent to the track, so they should have proceeded with caution.”
“Therefore, we have warned the drivers involved. Further infringements could result in more severe penalties.”
“There may be marshals or emergency services working on the track, with the danger that this entails. Next time there will be very severe penalties.”
The drivers had already been warned
This situation is unusual, but it happens more often than most of the public would expect. The last time, without going any further, was last year at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Once the race in Baku was over, also with the safety car on the track, Max Verstappen, Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, and Nico Hülkenberg performed the same maneuver, and the FIA did not penalize them either, but warned that there would be penalties the next time this happened. Even more striking is the case of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, who have been involved in the same incident on consecutive occasions. If this had been an unprecedented situation, the FIA’s leniency might have been understandable, but most drivers were aware of the rules, as is logical, and acted accordingly, and it is difficult to understand how the FIA can let these things slide.
It seems that the FIA continues to apply different standards depending on the drivers involved. Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari were involved, and there are many doubts in the paddock as to whether the FIA’s decision would have been the same without these three teams at the center of the controversy. The truth is that the regulations are clear on this point, and if they do not want to apply the established rules so as not to change the order of the races, they should consider other measures that do not influence the outcome of the race but do punish the driver. It is curious that swearing is more severely punished by the FIA than putting the lives of marshals at risk while they are working on the track under a safety car.