Fernando Alonso, sanctioned with 30 seconds for driving without a mirror

The Asturian falls from seventh to fifteenth and stays out of the points in Austin

MADRID, 24 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Spanish Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso (Alpine) has received a 30-second penalty in the United States Grand Prix race, dropping from seventh to fifteenth place, after the International Automobile Federation (FIA) accepted a Protest from the Haas team in which they demanded a penalty for the Spaniard for running without a right rear-view mirror.

"We are deeply concerned that car 14 -Alonso- was not shown the black and orange flag -which is shown to a car with mechanical damage that requires immediate attention in the pits-, or at least a radio call to rectify the situation to despite two calls to the Race Direction by the Haas team", the stewards said in a statement, in which they explained that Alonso's car was not "in safe conditions during a race", something that is "the responsibility of the Alpine team ".

The two-time world champion was involved in an accident with Canadian Lance Stroll, his next teammate at Aston Martin, on the back straight of the Circuit of the Americas, in which the Asturian went flying after contacting the rear of the Aston Martin. During the incident, Alonso's car's right rear-view mirror detached, a condition under which he drove the entire race.

After the race, Haas raised a protest against Alonso's car and Mexican Sergio Pérez's Red Bull, which suffered front wing damage early in the race. The commissioners did not act in the case of 'Checo', but they did in that of the Spanish.

Thus, despite the fact that during the race they did not estimate it in this way, the stewards considered that the Alpine A522 had participated "in unsafe conditions", and imposed a 30-second penalty on Alonso, which made him drop from seventh to the fifteenth position, outside the points zone.

Alpine, which argued that a similar action between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at the Japanese Grand Prix was not sanctioned in 2019, announced that it will appeal the sanction.