Steiner calls for greater clarity on defending after Alonso penalty

Method 1 must be extra clear about what’s and isn’t an appropriate degree of defensive driving within the wake of Fernando Alonso’s penalty on the Australian Grand Prix, in keeping with Guenther Steiner.

Alonso was given a retrospective drive-through penalty — transformed into 20 seconds of race time — for driving in a “doubtlessly harmful” method when slowing forward of George Russell on the strategy to Flip 6 late in Sunday’s race. The choice has sparked debate on what counts as skillful protection and when it crosses a line, however talking after being introduced as a brand new Miami Grand Prix ambassador, former Haas group principal Steiner says readability is crucial end result.

“I haven’t seen the information, I simply learn what you’ve all learn, that he was on the brakes and tapping the brakes and issues like this,” Steiner stated. “I believe we’re on the level now the place, we had it with Kevin [Magnussen] the place he was defending in Saudi Arabia, now Fernando defending the place…

“I truly was with Checo [Perez] on the airplane again from Melbourne and we had a fast chat about it, and we got here to the conclusion that preventing this tough for P6 is a bit of bit overdoing it. I imply, I do know that everyone wants the factors, nevertheless it’s like, ‘Wow.’ I believe we’re on the restrict.

“But additionally, the stewards’s verdict — you might be unsuitable however you might be proper — it wasn’t very clear to me. ‘You get the penalty however we don’t know when you ought to get the penalty.’ It’s like, ‘I provide the penalty however I’m unsure when you’ve carried out unsuitable.’ So I believe it must be a clearer stance, and it must be the identical for everybody as nicely.

“I believe we had been on the restrict there — if not over the restrict.”

Aston Martin has opted in opposition to interesting the penalty given to Alonso — regardless of it costing the group two factors general — citing a scarcity of latest proof that might permit it to request a proper of evaluate.