Raikkonen loses points after the penalty after the race in the F1 Imola race

Stewards found that the Alfa Romeo driver had broken the rules after failing to enter the pit lane to restart the race after the red flag time caused by the clash between Valtteri Bottas and George Russell was.

On the lap before the restart after the race suspension, Raikkonen spun his Alfa Romeo in Turn 3. The sporting regulations stipulate that a driver can take up his position again as long as this is achieved before the first safety car line.

If this is not completed, the driver must enter the pit lane and participate in the race again once the entire field has passed the restart.

As a result, Raikkonen lost his ninth place and dropped to 13th place, while the alpine duo of Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso moved up to ninth and tenth place respectively. It ensures that two-time world champion Alonso only scores a point in his second race in two years.

“On the lap before the restart after the race suspension, Raikkonen turned in turn 3,” explains the stewards’ report.

“Art. 42.6 states that the driver can take his position again as long as he does so in front of the first safety car line (SC1). First the team instructed him to do this, but then asked him to change his position to keep.

“Art. 42.6 then states that a driver who does not take his position must enter the pit lane and can only participate in the race again when the entire field has passed the pit exit.

Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo Racing C41, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12, in the pit lane

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

“Art. 42.12 states that during a rolling start, as soon as the safety car switches off the light, ‘no driver may overtake another car on the track until he has passed the line …’

“In this case, the driver caught up with the cars in front of him between turns 13 and 14, but the safety car switched off the lights around turn 10.

“This seems like a contradicting instruction and the team instructed the driver not to regain his position fearing it would create a safety issue in wet conditions.

“You radioed the race director, but there was no time for an answer between your call and the restart.

“The stewards see it as a further contradiction that the cars are not allowed to pass if they are behind the safety car during a safety car phase, but are allowed to pass if they are behind the safety car to restart they do this – even if the reasons for a rolling start are that the track conditions do not allow a standing start.

“The rule according to which a car must enter the pit lane if it does not regain its position, however, applies to several championships, has been included in the FIA’s Formula 1 Sports Ordinance for several years and is consistently applied.”

The penalty follows a five-second penalty for Aston Martins Lance Stroll, who gained a permanent advantage by overtaking Pierre Gasly off the track.

The Canadian was downgraded from seventh to eighth place based on the official race results.

Revised F1 Emilia Romagna GP race results