Alonso Defended By Aston Martin Principal, But Case Won't Be Appealed

Wednesday, 27 March 2024 at 12:00

Updated at Wednesday, 27 March 2024 at 13:04

Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack responded to the incident in which his driver, Fernando Alonso, received a 20-second penalty.

The double World Champion driving an Aston Martin came under pressure from George Russell in the final laps of the third race of the 2024 season - the Australian Grand Prix.

The Spanish Matador resisted the pressure from the Mercedes driver for some time, using all the tricks in his toolbox, but one of these tricks sent the 25-year-old into a barrier on the final lap of the race. Mike Krack started by saying he was glad Russell was okay:

"In motorsport, everyone is relieved that George was ok and walked away after his accident.

The team principal then highlighted how experienced his 42-year-old driver is. In fact, Alonso is the most experienced driver in F1. He has the most starts and the most seasons under his belt.

I want you to know that we fully support Fernando, he is the most experienced driver in Formula 1 history."

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"He has competed in more Grands Prix than anyone else and has more than 20 years of experience. He is a multiple world champion in multiple categories."

Alonso grew up in years when F1 was much more about hard driving. The Spaniard himself issued a response saying he has experienced multiple "epic duels" in his past.

He suggested that changes in racing lines and sacrificing corner entry for better exit are part of the art of racing. To be fair to Alonso, it is something that has been done over the years.

The controversial part about the accident between the Aston Martin driver and Russell is that there wasn't even contact between the two cars. Krack continued:

"To receive a 20-second time penalty where there was no contact with the following car has been a bitter pill to swallow, but we have to accept the decision."

Many experts have suggested that something like this wouldn't have been investigated if Russell hadn't crashed. Despite everything, the team principal said he's unable to request a right of review.

"We made our best case, but without new evidence, we are unable to request a right of review."

Krack closed by highlighting the level of Alonso's skill and clarifying that the Spanish Matador "would never put anyone in harm's way."

"Fernando is a phenomenal racer and he was using every tool in his toolbox to finish ahead of George - just like we saw in Brazil last year with Sergio [Perez]."

"This is the art of motorsport at the highest level, he would never put anyone in harm's way. Thank you to everyone who has got in touch, we move forward together."