Answers to correspondents ✉️😮

I'm slightly surprised that anyone reads this, but I have had a couple of people get in touch. Since my last post I heard from Sandra (idiomdrottning) who wondered why I thought it wasn't good that Alonso got a penalty if that's what the rules say. This question opens a can of worms, but lets start with the facts.

After a pretty big crash, Alonso thought he'd be out, but Alpine gave him fresh tyres and a new front wing and he carried on. He was now last, but he got back up to 7th by the end of the race - pretty amazing, given that various bits of his car were damaged. That included one of his mirrors which eventually fell off. The race director could have decided that his mirror was dangerous and given him the black-and-orange flag ("come in and fix your car") but that didn't happen. After the race, the Haas team (who've had several black-and-orange flags this year when they've had damage) protested, and Alonso got a penalty. But there's a time limit for lodging a protest, and they missed it.

The Alpine team have since got the penalty overturned. They argued that

• the race director didn't show Alonso the black-and-orange flag
• the car passed scrutineering after the race
• the Haas protest was after the time limit

None of this helps us to decide if the mirror was dangerous, and no one even mentioned Alonso not being able to see behind him properly. My feeling was that it seemed like a small issue to use to deny Alonso a few points for his very strong recovery. But I wonder how the mirror compares to the spring that hit Massa in the face once and nearly killed him.

Back to the can of worms. The FIA is in charge of the rules, and at a race that means the race director and the stewards. Haas were concerned that the black-and-orange flag was being used inconsistently. Why have they had to lose places in a race by stopping to fix damage when others haven't? Other teams are concerned that every time there's a bit of car damage their race is over. Everyone is concerned that the rules about protest time limits weren't followed. And the teams don't have much faith in the FIA decision making process since the wrong application of the rules changed the result of the championship last year on the last lap of the last race. And this year there have been other points of contention over driver jewelery and underwear(!), enforcement of track limits and other penalties, how points are awarded for a shortened race, and the whole cost cap issue. If the teams feel that the rules are being made up as we go along, they won't be happy when the decisions go against them. In the past it seemed that they had respect for those in charge, but now they don't.

So Sandra asked why Alonso shouldn't get a penalty if that's what the rules say. My answer is that the rules are not clear and straightforward, and their application is even less so.

=> #F1 | #FIA