Fernando Alonso Voices Support for Kevin Magnussen Amid Controversial Race Ban After Azerbaijan GP Incident

Fernando Alonso expresses empathy for Kevin Magnussen in light of his recent race suspension.

Dual Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso conveyed his empathy towards Kevin Magnussen following the imposition of a race suspension on the Haas competitor for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Magnussen was given a 10-second time penalty and incurred two penalty points on his licence due to a clash with Alpine's Pierre Gasly at Turn 4.

For the first time since penalty points were implemented in 2014, a driver has received a suspension for a single race.

Gasly, caught up in the clash with Magnussen, confessed he was "taken aback" by the decision.

"He mentioned receiving a 10-second penalty, which caught me off guard, considering his effort. There was some wheel-to-wheel action, yet ultimately, it didn't cost me any time. It's quite unexpected," he expressed.

"I sincerely wish they could reconsider it, as it would undeniably be unjust. I'm eager to help out—I'll explore what options I have. The situation would seem excessively unfair given what occurred."

Alonso has recently shown support for Magnussen, raising concerns about the FIA's method of assigning penalty points.

He expressed post-race on Sunday, stating: “Absolutely. The reason being, penalty points, as we've repeatedly talked about, ought to be reserved for reckless behavior, anything that poses a risk to the sport and to other participants.

"I believe some of the points he gathered, I can't be certain since I don't have the list with me. But occasionally, it's related to issues like crossing the pit lane's white line, unsafe exits, and similar matters. These elements are inherent to the sport.

"This is a pass-through penalty. This comes with a five-second time penalty. I get the racing infractions, but the safety infractions seem a bit more complex to grasp."

Haas has not yet revealed who will take over for Magnussen, with Oliver Bearman being the leading candidate to step in for the Baku race.

Bearman is set to join Esteban Ocon as a teammate in the 2025 racing season.

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