Australian Grand Prix - Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo back 'correct' FIA reset despite 'strange' connotations

Alfa Romeo would have scored 10 points had the positions not been reset for a single safety car lap to the chequered flag

Sam Hall

Sunday 2 April 2023 14:24

Alfa Romeo head of track engineering Xevi Pujolar has backed the FIA's 'correct' decision-making at the end of the Australian Grand Prix despite conceding one aspect to have been 'strange'.

A chaotic red flag restart with two laps remaining at Albert Park saw Fernando Alonso spun off the track by Carlos Sainz and the two Alpine drivers collide, with the latter pair sustaining race-ending damage.

With only one lap remaining, the event was red-flagged for a third time and drivers were instructed to return to the pits.

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While the track was cleared, there was confusion as to whether the order of the cars at the time the red flag was shown would remain or whether, as the field had not cleared the first sector at that point, the positions would be reset to those of the previous restart.

When the FIA confirmed the second example to be the answer and that drivers would complete the final tour behind the safety car, Alonso was promoted back from outside the points to third, while Nico Hulkenberg and the two Alfa Romeo drivers lost out.

Given that Hulkenberg would have been classified as third had the order remained unchanged, Haas has now protested the result.

Asked by GPFans if Alfa Romeo would join this action given a total points haul of 10 had been reduced to two by the decision, Pujolar said: “For us, we are happy with the way it is.

"We had a look at it and it is actually, for us, correct in the way that it has been done by the FIA.”

Spirit of the rules questioned

Although happy with the way that the rules were applied, when pressed as to whether the spirit of the regulations is correct given Alonso's ascension back to the top three places, Pujolar added: “I think here we could be discussing this for hours.

"For sure, it is a bit strange when someone is out and then is back up the previous position. But I think we can look at in different ways and this could be an argument or discussion.

“I believe for sure, it will be discussed in the next meetings with the FIA and it is something that then we can agree with the FIA and teams. I haven’t got a strong opinion now.”