Alpine was fined €5.000 after an unusual incident involving Pierre Gasly in the Formula 1 Chinese GP Sprint race. During the pit exit for the formation lap, an antenna cover from the car came loose and fell onto the track, raising questions about the safety of the French team’s car release.
Read more F1: Hadjar receives FIA warning after Shanghai infringement
The incident occurred because Gasly left the garage with the antenna protection still attached to the car. Upon coming loose on the track, the equipment was collected by marshals and handed over to the stewards, who confirmed it was an Alpine part.
An FIA stewards’ report detailed: “Car 10 left the garage with the antenna protective shield still attached. The driver stated that his view of the part was blocked by the halo and that he only realized what happened when he saw something come loose from the car, immediately reporting it to the team. The team explained that while preparing the car, they were trying to resolve communication issues and did not notice that the cover had not been removed. Only after the car entered the fast lane did they realize the error, mistakenly assuming that the protection would remain attached until reaching the starting line”.
Read more F1: Alpine confident with progress shown
The stewards concluded that releasing the car in these conditions constituted a risky situation: “Although it is not a large or heavy object, the cover could hit another driver or car, causing injury or damage. The team should have instructed the driver to stop before entering the track,” the statement concludes.
Gasly finished the Sprint race in 11th position, without further consequences for his race, but Alpine had to pay the fine for this negligence.
