Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton were both slapped with 20-second penalties following Sunday's Malaysian GP.

The two antagonists were involved in a tense battle for third place at Sepang on Sunday with Hamilton leading Alonso as the Spaniard attempted to find a way past.

However, instead of passing Hamilton, he drove into the back of him, damaging the front wing of his Ferrari.

Alonso was forced to pit for a new nose and dropped down to sixth place while Hamilton, who had to come in for a late pit stop, finished the grand prix in seventh place.

The duo, though, were called into the stewards' office in the aftermath of the grand prix where both were handed 20-second penalties.

Alonso's was for the crash while Hamilton's was because the stewards deemed him to have been too aggressive in defending his position against the double World Champ.

Hamilton, though, is the only one who suffers as a result of the penalty as he dropped from seventh to eighth in the final classification.

"I knew I was going to get a penalty. I'm not surprised," the Brit told Autosport.

"I was in with the stewards, so I anticipated it. I always try to assume the worst-case scenario. It's only one spot, and it's not really made me feel any worse than how the weekend has gone anyway.

"It's racing. I'm not going to argue or disagree with the penalty.

"From my side I'm not allowed to move more than once. Do I class it as dangerous? No, but that's the rule. Twenty seconds is not such a bad penalty for it.

"As for Fernando, he hit me, he got a 20-second penalty, but it didn't really do anything to him. It doesn't exactly work out as a penalty, but again, that's racing."

Alonso, who remains sixth, added: "It doesn't change positions, so there is no a big drama.

"I finished sixth in the race anyway, and it was a race incident. I tried to overtake, we touched each other and unfortunately I broke the front wing and had to pit again, and I lost the podium possibility. But in the next race I will try again."

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For the life of my I can't see how Hamilton was slapped with the penalty. Maybe the stewards saw something that I obviously missed but I thought that Fernando paid the price for running into Hamilton's back.

 

Can someone please clarify this rule?

Is it that the defender must not make more than one move in a lateral motion to block? (ie one can not zig-zag to defend)

Thanks

 

Lewis remember that drive through you had last season that you put enough distance between Fernando and didn't lose a single position?

How's it feel mate?

Yes, he is not allowed more than one defensive move. Look at his defense of Vitaly Petrov last season. He was warned for "excessive weaving". If in the wrong situation, this season can be worse because of the marbles, the car could lose control with the weaving.

 

I don't know. Lewis weaved a bit, but really defended his line by making his car W-I-D-E. And Alonso kinda ran into him when the car got into the slipstream and couldn't turn his car as quickly as he wanted. At least that's what I thought happened. Sure, he's supposed to know his car, but I saw it as a racing incident. Anyway, not like the FIA to not try to script the entire season.......

 

Yes.

 

The Ferrari lost grip in the slipstream, since it didn't have enough air going over the front wings. Seems to me like he under-steered into Lewis.

 

^^^ Yep, that's what I thought as well.

 

Can't see how Lewis deserved 20 seconds - or Alonso. It was a racing incident. If F1 becomes any more scripted it'll end up like WWE - entertainment, not racing.

(Apparently WWE is entertaining?)

 

Thanks!

The thing is, when I saw it Hamilton looked to simply go wide. He did not weave back and forth into Alonso's lane. Close call I guess.