The 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was full of drama for Fernando Alonso, who was eventually awarded the 100th podium of his career.
The Spaniard shot out of his P2 grid slot to lead the race into Turn 1, overtaking the slow starting Sergio Perez.
The Red Bulls were on a different level once again however and both Perez and his teammate Max Verstappen eventually managed to pass the 41-year-old, leaving Alonso in third place.
After the podium ceremony, Alonso was awarded a ten-second penalty for failing to serve a penalty correctly during the race, which he was awarded for starting slightly to the side of his grid slot.
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It was deemed that one of Aston Martin’s mechanics had touched the AMR23 too early, similar to what happened in Bahrain with Esteban Ocon.
Only hours after Alonso’s podium was given to George Russell, the FIA reversed their decision and decided to give the podium back to the Spaniard.
Alonso is very up to date with his understanding of memes and social media trends and used this to his full advantage following the drama.
The 41-year-old posted a photo of a well-known meme template, with one man saying “I am sad” while he says “you were.”
The decision to award Alonso with a penalty after the race was controversial enough so to then take it away again caused a massive stir in the F1 community.
Esteban Ocon’s penalty stood in Bahrain, leaving fans confused as to what the actual rules are when it comes to serving penalties during pit stops.
Formula 1 have now announced that the FIA will be released a rule clarification prior to the Australian Grand Prix in two weeks’ time, hopefully putting these controversial penalties to bed.
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With the larger wheels that came in this new era of F1, it is very difficult to see the floor around you when lining up a car at the start of a race, making it understandable that two drivers in two races have been found out of their grid slot.
Even George Russell admitted that the penalties were harsh, even though they would have seen him score his first podium of the season if they were upheld.
With clarity to come, drivers will hopefully not be penalised for these small details on a regular basis from now on.