Alfa Romeo F1 loses FIA appeal over Raikkonen’s Imola penalty

Alfa Romeo met with the stewards before this afternoon’s Portuguese Grand Prix after requesting a review of the penalty which cost it its first points of the season.

Following the stewards’ formal review of the incident, the penalty from Imola stands.

Raikkonen was handed a 10-second stop-go penalty - which was later converted into a 30-second time penalty - for being in the wrong position when the race at Imola restarted on Lap 34.

When unlapping himself after the red flag period, Raikkonen spun and was overtaken by Lewis Hamilton and Yuki Tsunoda.

Under the sporting regulations, the Finn was entitled to regain the positions he lost and if he failed to do that, resume the race from the pit lane.

Raikkonen didn't regain the positions he lost nor did he resume the race from the pit lane, hence why he was awarded the penalty.

Alfa Romeo had given Raikkonen conflicting messages over team radio, leading to confusion about whether he could retake the positions or not.

Raikkonen went on to finish the race in ninth place, but the 30-second time penalty dropped him out of the points.

Given that the team felt the stewards had been inconsistent with the rules, Alfa Romeo lodged an appeal for the stewards to look at it again in a bid to secure the team’s first points of the season.

The stewards decided not to overturn the original verdict, ensuring Alpine kept the three points they scored in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. 

Alfa Romeo said in a statement: “Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN acknowledges the decision of the FIA and the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix stewards to uphold the original penalty to driver Kimi Räikkönen, following a review of the incident. The team’s focus is now fully on next weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.”