Alpine fined €10,000 for failing to ensure staff safety during pitstop
Alpine has received a substantial fine following the Chinese Grand Prix, when one of its mechanics was almost seriously injured during Pierre Gasly's pit stop. Despite no fault on the part of the driver, the team was fined 10,000 euros for non-compliance with FIA safety regulations.
During the Chinese Grand Prix 2024 which took place from April 19 to 21, the Alpine F1 Team was penalized by the stewards for an incident that occurred during a pit stop involving the driver Pierre Gasly. The incident in question took place at 3:22 PM during the race and was classified as a dangerous incident during a pit stop of the Normandy driver.
Indeed, the rear right tire was reluctant during the tire rotation and was then not properly secured on the Alpine. However, the green light was given to Gasly to leave his pit stop. The driver realized there was an issue and immediately stopped, with the light turning red again, thus avoiding any potential accident on the track. After reviewing the facts, the stewards concluded that the driver was not responsible for the incident.
The stewards heard the driver of car 10 (Pierre Gasly), the team representative, and examined the positioning/marking systems data, videos, timing data, team radio communications, onboard videos, and determined that the driver of car 10 had been given the green light to leave his pit stop position, explains the FIA.
« However, the rear right tire had not been properly secured. The electronic systems monitoring whether a tire was properly mounted did not detect the problem. Additionally, a team member accidentally pressed the car release button while the tire was not properly secured. As soon as the team realized the issue, they stopped the car and prevented it from leaving the pit lane. Furthermore, a team member fell backward and suffered minor injuries. This team member was able to continue their duties for the remainder of the race. »
Pierre Gasly bouscule un mécanicien dans les stands.🚨
La monoplace du Français a été relâchée alors que le pneu arrière droit n'était pas fixé. Le mécanicien va bien. 🙏#ChineseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/TLSlgPfHqQ
— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) April 21, 2024
The mechanics were then working on each side of the right rear tire to fix it properly, and as they moved a few centimeters, Gasly dropped one of them, who was in front of the car. Fortunately, more scared than hurt for the mechanic who escaped with just a few bruises.
It is the team that made the mistake for the FIA by allowing the car to leave the pit lane while the tire was not properly secured. As a result, the team was fined a hefty fine of 10,000 euros for not letting a vehicle leave safely. The mechanic was able to continue his duties for the rest of the race. The stewards noted that the team’s quick response to stop the car and prevent a major incident on the track was taken into account in their decision. They also emphasized that driver Gasly reacted appropriately by immediately stopping the car when he realized the issue.
« It was clear to us that the driver was not responsible. He received the green light and released the clutch to move forward. However, he immediately stopped the car when the light turned red.
(e) We have determined that the team was entirely responsible for what happened. Therefore, we have imposed a fine of €10,000 for failing to ensure that the car complied with the eligibility criteria and safety standards during the race.
