Fernando Alonso says a penalty he acquired in the US Grand Prix raises questions in regards to the course of the game underneath governing physique the FIA.
A protest by Alonso’s Alpine crew in opposition to the choice to demote him out of the factors after he completed seventh in a broken automotive will likely be heard on Thursday.
Alonso wrote on Instagram: “It is a vital day for the game as this determination will dictate if we’re getting into the suitable course.”
Alonso stated his submit was in response to messages of assist because the penalty.
He thanked those that had contacted him on social media, including: “It is a kind of uncommon instances in sport that I really feel we’re all on the identical web page and share the identical opinion in direction of guidelines and rules.”
Alonso stated after the race that he thought of his drive among the best of his profession, after he crashed at 180mph, his automotive did a wheelie, hit a wall, he pitted for a brand new entrance wing, resumed on the again and climbed to seventh regardless of broken aerodynamic components.
The 2-time champion has questioned the decision-making of officers on a lot of events this yr, and his frustrations in regards to the inconsistency of policing of motion on monitor are shared by the vast majority of his fellow drivers.
On the Spanish Grand Prix, he accused the FIA of “incompetence” and missing information of racing.
Criticism of the FIA’s working of F1 has been a theme this yr, and the US Grand Prix was the race after the governing physique angered drivers by permitting a restoration car on monitor in situations of poor visibility throughout heavy rain.
Alpine’s enchantment will likely be heard at 18:00 Mexico Metropolis time (12:00 BST) on 27 October earlier than this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix.
The crew have questioned the US GP stewards’ determination to permit a protest by the Haas crew regardless of it being posted after the permitted time restrict had expired.
The stewards stated of their determination at hand Alonso a 30-second penalty on Sunday that the Spaniard’s automotive was in an unsafe situation as a result of he drove it for a while with a broken wing mirror, after which with out one when it fell off.
Haas identified their vehicles have beforehand been given the black-and-orange warning flag – demanding a automotive is pitted for repairs – on three events in comparable conditions this season.
At no level throughout the race had been Alpine requested by officers to pit the automotive and take away the mirror, regardless of calls from Haas to race management.
The stewards’ ruling means that any automotive lacking a rear-view mirror after an incident will likely be compelled to retire in future.
There are additionally questions in regards to the consistency of decision-making, after stewards rejected the same protest by Haas in opposition to Sergio Perez’s Purple Bull.
Perez drove some laps with a broken entrance wing, a part of which then fell off the automotive whereas he was working.
