The Aston Martin driver loses his third place, drops down to fourth.
Fernando Alonso had reason to celebrate after finishing third on the road in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which marked his second podium of the season for Aston Martin. However, the Spaniard's elation was short-lived, as his position was quickly thrown into doubt.
During the race, Alonso received a five-second penalty for lining up incorrectly on the grid, from which he subsequently took the lead. Although he was overtaken by race winner Sergio Perez, Alonso managed to maintain second place until he pitted under a safety car caused by his teammate Lance Stroll's retirement.
Although Alonso served the penalty, it was later discovered that he had done so incorrectly and a ten-second penalty was applied to his race time, dropping him behind George Russell and Lewis Hamilton to fifth place.
While it is unclear what the specific pitstop infringement was, the rear jack appeared to touch Alonso's AMR23 before the penalty was properly served.
Despite Alonso's disappointment, Russell was able to secure his tenth podium finish in Formula 1, marking an important milestone for Mercedes. The team has had a difficult start to the season with its W14 car, which it has already confirmed it will be revising significantly after feeling that the concept of the car was wrong.
The Bahrain Grand Prix was a thrilling race that saw Perez take the win, with Verstappen finishing in second place. While Alonso may be disappointed with the outcome, his strong performance on the track bodes well for the rest of the season.