Alfa Romeo astonished by lack of Lance Stroll penalty

Stroll and Bottas in Australia — Photo: © LAT Images

Australian Grand Prix

Alfa Romeo astonished by lack of Stroll penalty

Bottas avoided contact with Stroll towards the end of the Australian GP

Sam Hall

Wednesday 13 April 2022 11:34

Alfa Romeo head of trackside engineering Xevi Pujolar has expressed his disbelief that Lance Stroll went unpunished in Australia for an altercation with Valtteri Bottas.

Stroll ran Bottas off the road on the outside of turn three on lap 42 of 58 at Albert Park after diving for the inside to complete an overtake.

Although contact was avoided as Bottas opened his steering, the Finn dropped his left-rear tyre into the gravel, allowing Pierre Gasly the opportunity to squeeze past as the Alfa Romeo driver recovered.

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Bottas eventually recovered to finish ahead of Gasly in eighth, whilst a separate penalty for Stroll saw the Canadian finish outside the points in 12th.

"We were expecting him [Stroll] to get a penalty because it was not very nice what he did but the decision was no penalty and we take it," said Pujolar.

"It was not a frustration for us. We believe that he [Bottas] was pushed out."

After a number of high-profile incidents last year, the FIA clarified the need to leave rivals racing room ahead of the current season.

Asked if he viewed this as a textbook example of forcing another driver off the track to gain an advantage, Pujolar added: "Yeah.

"We thought he would get a penalty but the decision was no. It is what it is."

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