Fernando Alonso fined 20 seconds and loses two positions at Australian Grand Prix

Today saw the Australian Grand Prix. Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz Jr. emerged as the winner of the race, while the reigning champion Max Verstappen and the record holder for victories in the season, Lewis Hamilton, failed to finish the race due to technical issues.

Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso crossed the finish line in sixth place, trailing the leader by 1.20.992 seconds. However, immediately after the race, an investigation began regarding Alonso's dangerous driving.

Fernando Alonso caused a dangerous situation on the track, which ultimately led to a collision involving Mercedes driver George Russell on the penultimate lap of today's race at Albert Park.

The two-time Formula 1 champion received three penalty points and a drive-through penalty, which, if not served during the race, converts to a 20-second time penalty added to the driver's finishing time.

Explaining their decision, the stewards noted that the penalty does not consider the consequences of Alonso's actions, but his actions are deemed dangerous. While the stewards cannot prove the intention behind Alonso's actions, the penalty suggests their opinion on the matter.

During an interview with Sky Sports, Alonso stated that he was only focused on his own issues at that moment, not on the competitors behind him.

"Obviously, at that moment, I was focused on myself, not on what was happening behind.

The last fifteen laps I had battery problems, so at the end of the race, I definitely had problems. I couldn't think about the car behind.

But, it seems everything is fine with him. When I first saw his car, I was very worried."

As a result, Alonso's time was adjusted to +1.40.992, causing him to lose two positions. Lance Stroll from Aston Martin moved up to sixth place, and Yuki Tsunoda from Red Bull to seventh. The Aston Martin driver himself dropped to eighth place.

Thus, the updated top-10 standings are as follows:

1. Carlos Sainz Jr. (Ferrari)
2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)
4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
5. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
6. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
7. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
9. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
10. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)