Prior to the start of the Saturday sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix, the Alpine team was involved in an incident on the pit lane, releasing Pierre Gasly onto the track with a protective antenna screen fitted to his car. This component did not comply with safety requirements for cars exiting onto the starting grid.
After the sprint, the stewards carefully reviewed video footage of the incident, heard statements from the team’s representatives, and concluded that the driver’s release had been unsafe. As a result, Alpine was fined €5,000 for the breach of regulations, highlighting the importance of strict adherence to pit lane safety procedures.
