Fernando Alonso Criticizes F1’s “Over Regulation”: Calls for a Review of Racing Penalties and Rules

Fernando Alonso criticizes F1 for being "too controlled," claiming it affects the quality of the races.

Fernando Alonso is of the opinion that Formula 1 has become excessively governed by rules, which in turn, discourages drivers from taking risks during overtaking maneuvers.

Alonso received a 10-second penalty for colliding with Sauber's Zhou Guanyu during Turn 3.

The subject of fines and competition has become a major point of discussion following the fierce battle between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris at the Austrian Grand Prix.

During a media briefing at Silverstone, where Crash.net is present in the paddock, Alonso discussed the necessity for all parties to come together to find an improved "solution" regarding the current state of the rules.

"Indeed, my current stance is that we aim to stop reckless drivers from facing penalties almost every other weekend, which endangers others. This reminds me of the past incident involving Grosjean's crash at Spa, with Lewis and myself also caught up in it. I believe that incident led to a race suspension in Monza that particular year," he explained.

"Thus, it appears to me that we are currently subjected to more regulations than ever before. We're prohibited from overtaking in the pit lane, speeding in the pit lane, or driving slowly on the track. Essentially, our actions are severely restricted."

"It's likely that there's too much regulation, and it's noticeable that both drivers and teams experience frustration from time to time. However, we must come together to find a remedy, instead of leaving the FIA to handle it by themselves."

"It's essential for us to suggest an improvement over the existing regulation. This is a task we must undertake collectively."

Alonso raised concerns about the application of penalty points and how it might be affecting drivers' willingness to execute overtakes on the track.

"The introduction of penalty points was primarily to prevent reckless drivers from continually racking up penalties without facing a race suspension or similar consequences, essentially to deter hazardous actions and ensure everyone's safety on the track," he clarified. "Currently, it seems we're confusing genuine racing errors with reckless driving. My error in Turn 3, where I collided with Guanyu Zhou, warranted a 10-second penalty, which was fair. In Nico's case, it was a mistake related to racing, and there's a cost for such errors – either you return the position or you're penalized, be it a five-second or ten-second penalty."

Errors in racing are inevitable and have occurred before. What puzzles me is the perceived risk in these actions, as there is none. Essentially, we're removing the motivation to attempt a passing move.

"Making an error while racing could result in receiving penalty points, so it often makes more sense to remain in the rear. This is because the current system favors DRS-enabled passing, effectively discouraging drivers from trying to overtake in other ways due to the risk of incurring penalties for either participant. In my opinion, this approach is misguided."

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