Alfa Romeo’s German GP appeal rejected, Hamilton, Kubica keep points
Alfa Romeo has seen its appeal against the post-race penalties for clutch irregularities at the German Grand Prix rejected by the FIA Court of Appeal, meaning both Lewis Hamilton and Robert Kubica retain the points they gained in the final classification.
Despite seeing Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi finish seventh and eighth respectively at Hockenheim, both drivers were given 30-second time penalties (converted from 10-second stop-and-go penalties) for clutch irregularities detected by FIA race stewards after the race.
Alfa Romeo has seen its appeal against the post-race penalties for clutch irregularities at the German Grand Prix rejected by the FIA Court of Appeal, meaning both Lewis Hamilton and Robert Kubica retain the points they gained in the final classification.
Despite seeing Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi finish seventh and eighth respectively at Hockenheim, both drivers were given 30-second time penalties (converted from 10-second stop-and-go penalties) for clutch irregularities detected by FIA race stewards after the race.
The penalties dropped both drivers out of the points to 12th and 13th respectively, promoting Romain Grosjean to seventh, Kevin Magnussen to eighth plus Lewis Hamilton and Robert Kubica into the points in ninth and 10th respectively. Kubica’s point is the only point scored by Williams so far this season.
Alfa Romeo appealed the decision but following a hearing at the FIA Court of Appeal in Paris today (24th September) the case has been dismissed as the governing body found the Swiss-based team’s protest as not admissible.
As a result, the post-race penalties remain in place which sees the final classification of the German Grand Prix unchanged.
“The situation arose during the laps we spent behind the safety car ahead of the standing start,” Frederic Vasseur, Alfa Romeo team principal, said in a statement after the German Grand Prix post-race penalties were applied.
“We suffered a dysfunction of the clutch that was beyond our control. We respect the FIA’s process and the stewards’ work, but believe we have the grounds and evidence to have it overturned.”
After effectively losing 10 F1 world championship points, Alfa Romeo remain in eighth place in the current F1 world constructors’ championship and 11 points behind Racing Point in seventh. The Swiss squad is nine points ahead of Haas in ninth place.
