FIA to look again at Raikkonen's penalty in Imola after new evidence

Alfa Romeo have received confirmation from the FIA that they can appeal the penalty given to Kimi Raikkonen at Imola. During the formation lap after the red flag Raikkonen shot off the track and as a result Lewis Hamilton and Yuki Tsunoda passed him. A question from Alfa Romeo to the race committee about what their driver should do went unanswered.

However, the team from Switzerland were given a thirty second time penalty after the race because Raikkonen had not started from the correct position. In the weeks between Imola and Portimao Alfa Romeo examined their options and presented them to the FIA this weekend. The FIA considered the arguments as valid and so Alfa Romeo can officially appeal.

That reports Motorsport.com. "The stewards have found out that the situations that they reffered to, were not following a red flag." Sergio Perez also received a ten-second stop-go penalty for spinning behind the safety car and then driving back to his original spot. According to Alfa Romeo the stewards should not have compared this because it concerned different situations.

The FIA had compared the situation with Raikkonen to similar situations in F2 and F3, but this did not take into account the red flag which was on the track prior to the incident. As a result the FIA will look again at the incident and come back with a verdict on Sunday. If Raikkonen gets his points back that would be bad news for Alpine, who will see Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso move up from P9 and P10 to P10 and P11.