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[Ferrari man 009]

Vettel's dominance up front was boring, but some of the battles behind were interesting - some good racing. The major talking point was Alonso's move on Vergne, glad to see the stewards use common sense and understand Alonso was pushed off by JEV, who should have left a space!

Fernando Alonso has escaped punishment for his controversial pass on Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne during the Abu Dhabi GP.

With ten laps of the race remaining, the Ferrari driver swept past the Frenchman following his second and final pit-stop with all four wheels of the F138 over the designated track limits.

However, the stewards have accepted Alonso's explanation and opted against meting out a retrospective drive-through penalty which would have added on 25 seconds to Alonso's race time and demoted him from fifth to ninth.

"You have to leave a space when you have a car alongside," the two-time World Champion told reporters before being summoned for a meeting with the race stewards. "He didn't give a space and I had to go outside of the track."

The decision, which sees Alonso keep his fifth place ahead of Force India's Paul di Resta and Lewis Hamilton, could prove critical in Ferrari's ongoing battle to finish second in the Constructors' Championship. The Scuderia currently trail Mercedes by eleven points in the standings with two races of the season remaining.

More to follow...

[Hammer278]

^Bullsh*t. Absolute frigging bullsh*t, so when a car on the outside of any corner now is pushed off the track or the car on the inside makes it very tight, they have a right to just take a short cut and overtake the car?

Grosjean had nowhere to go in Hungary either since he was pushed wide by Massa but he got a straight drive through. Many other instances where the car looking on the outside was forced wide and took a short cut only to give the place back, but Alonso in a f**king Ferrari does it in Abu Dhabi "Ferrari World" and gets of scot free.

[Denthúl]

Good, consistent stewarding.

Wait...

[Ferrari man 009]

Good, consistent stewarding.

Actually it was, as Sutil in a similar position cut the chicane at 11,12 and 13 and also didnt recieve a penalty despite gaining 2 positions!

[LiamCatterson]

I know I am a Ferrari fan and whatnot, but even I think that Alonso's unfair overtake was bullsh*t. F*cking bullsh*t, if it was Hamilton, he'd be sent to the back of the grid. If it was an F1 game, I'd be penalised for touching him...That move was uncalled for and Alonso should've let him back through, but once again, the true meaning of FIA is indeed BULLSH!T

[CookinFlat6]

Reminds me of the penalty Lewis got at Spa those years ago, good to know that post race clarification was useful and the rules are consistent and clear years later

F1 just doesn't have many compelling reasons to follow it nowadays, it's getting weary and tired (no pun intended)

[zurich_allan]

Good, consistent stewarding.

Actually it was, as Sutil in a similar position cut the chicane at 11,12 and 13 and also didnt recieve a penalty despite gaining 2 positions!

I know you're just repeating what the analysts said, but they were wrong, and you are wrong. I have no earthly idea where they got the idea that Sutil gained 2 positions from. Here are the facts:

1. The issue between Maldonado and Sutil was borderline - it could be construed as having been forced off the track or that he went wide and came back on unfairly ahead of Maldonado.

2. Perez was NOT ahead of Sutil before the corner, was NOT challenging for the position, and would NOT have been challenging for that place if Sutil had taken the corner normally.

So the fact that Sutil came back on still ahead of Perez was completely irrelevant. Perez lost nothing from Sutil going off and coming back on in front of him - if anything Perez got closer as a result. Sutil gained nothing on Perez as he was already ahead, did not go off whilst either defending from or attacking Perez.

So Sutil either gained ONE place, if you view that he completed the overtake off track, or gained NOTHING if you view that Maldonado was attempting to retain a place by forcing Sutil off track.

You simply cannot compare the Alonso and the Sutil incidents, they are totally different.

[Nin-Chin]

Such a shame about Hulkenburg, would have been easy points for him.

Sauber need to step up in the pit lane, always seem to have slow stops more often than others, if Hulk had a faster stop, the penalty wouldn't have been awarded.

[Ferrari man 009]

Good, consistent stewarding.

Actually it was, as Sutil in a similar position cut the chicane at 11,12 and 13 and also didnt recieve a penalty despite gaining 2 positions!

I know you're just repeating what the analysts said, but they were wrong, and you are wrong. I have no earthly idea where they got the idea that Sutil gained 2 positions from. Here are the facts:

2. Perez was NOT ahead of Sutil before the corner, was NOT challenging for the position, and would NOT have been challenging for that place if Sutil had taken the corner normally.

So the fact that Sutil came back on still ahead of Perez was completely irrelevant. Perez lost nothing from Sutil going off and coming back on in front of him - if anything Perez got closer as a result. Sutil gained nothing on Perez as he was already ahead, did not go off whilst either defending from or attacking Perez.

Sorry, he didnt gain the Perez place, more that he failed to lose it by putting his foot down and missing 2 corners. Maldonado at least half made the 2nd apex and as a result lost the place to Perez. But as you said, Sutil was arguably pushed off, as was Alonso, therefore the stewards were consistent with their views that the reason they passed off the track was because they were forced off. As Alonso said "you have to leave a space when coming across the track" - JEV didnt, therefore he was as much at fault as Alonso and for that reason I believe they made the right decision.

Cookinflat, I agree - but in 2008 this rule about leaving a space when defending wasnt around, therefore Kimi was allowed on that occasion to leave Lewis no room.

And RE: Grosjean, he chose to go round the outside of Massa from behind. Today Alonso was on the left at all times and JEV pushed across him, as pointed out by Brundle after the race.

Despite this, had it been a "normal" racing situation and not as Alonso came out of the pits, i'd agree Alonso should have been penalised, but Alonso had nowhere to go as he had to stay left through T3 because of the pitlane line, this I believe would also have been taken into account.

[racechick]

Oh boo hiss! Why did Alonso get off with that? That's rubbish!

[Stevie]

Actually really enjoyed this race - apparently I'm in a minority...
As much as I'd like to see Alonso get a punishment for that incident *cue evil laugh* I don't see how he did anything wrong. He was coming down alongside Vergne, and Vergne eased him off the track. As far as I could see, Alonso had to either move, or hit him. Nothing wrong there. Awesome donuts from Seb, Mark's were a little...messy

[ptiberio]

^Bullsh*t. Absolute frigging bullsh*t, so when a car on the outside of any corner now is pushed off the track or the car on the inside makes it very tight, they have a right to just take a short cut and overtake the car?

Grosjean had nowhere to go in Hungary either since he was pushed wide by Massa but he got a straight drive through. Many other instances where the car looking on the outside was forced wide and took a short cut only to give the place back, but Alonso in a f**king Ferrari does it in Abu Dhabi "Ferrari World" and gets of scot free.

Your love for Alonzo is right up their with my love for Vettel and Massa

[ptiberio]

Oh boo hiss! Why did Alonso get off with that? That's rubbish!

I have a solution....this is racing not traffic school...I want them to go back to unlimited speed pit lane and get rid of the raised curbing

[operaman]

How come no one is complaining about Gutierez weaving all over the track to keep Hamilton behind?

[LewEngBridewell]

This year's race at Abu Dhabi wasn't as good as last year's, which was a thriller, but there was still some great racing behind Seb.

Nothing much else to say really, although the Alonso situation is one to ponder...