F1 stars pile pressure on FIA after Fernando Alonso accusation as ban hangs over duo | F1 | Sport

Logan Sargeant has become the latest F1 driver to slam the FIA over their penalty points system after being sanctioned for an incident in last month’s Chinese Grand Prix. The Williams driver was deemed to have been responsible for a safety car infringement, having been too close to Haas man Nico Hulkenberg at the Safety Car 1 line.

And now the American has called for the authorities to review their procedure, arguing his own disciplinary process was a ‘joke’. Speaking to Autosport, the 23-year-old said: “I think mine (penalty in China) was extremely frustrating. The penalty is one thing. To get penalty points for what it was, was a bit of a joke. 

“I think a lot worse things happen throughout the weekend that you just get reprimanded for. I’ve had people in qualifying slow down in front of me, nearly have huge crashes, and nothing happens. But then when I cross the line at the same time as someone else and you can’t even see it, you get two penalty points and I think it’s not a great direction to be heading in.”

As it stands, drivers are handed penalty points in addition to sporting penalties if the stewards deem it necessary. Any F1 competitor who accumulates a total of 12 points over a 12-month rolling period is hit with a race ban.

Red Bull driver Sergio Perez is currently at real risk of hitting the 12 point mark and a subsequent one-race suspension, having racked up eight points in the past year. But Kevin Magnusson is in a more precarious situation, now on 10 points after a disastrous weekend at the Miami Grand Prix.

But Fernando Alonso has also been central to the debate, claiming this week he has received the support of FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem for a full review of F1’s guidelines and the distribution of penalties from race stewards at a Grand Prix.

The Spaniard’s grievance follows him being given penalties at race weekends in Australia and China. Lewis Hamilton however, wasn’t sanctioned for a controversial move at the first corner in the Miami Sprint Race, leading Alonso to imply that national bias dictated steward decisions.

“I spoke with him and he’s always on board on every opinion that the drivers have,” Alonso told Motorsport.com. “He has always listened to us. He knows that we are the ones driving the cars and that we can have some suggestions on things.

“There are a couple of points that we need to address as a sport. So let’s see if we make F1 a better sport and a little bit more consistent.”