Mark Webber has been slapped with a 10-grid penalty for hitching a ride back to pit lane with Fernando Alonso at the conclusion of the Singapore Grand Prix.
Both drivers were reprimanded by the race stewards, but Webber copped the 10-grid ban at the next race in Korea after having previous visits with officials in 2013.
Similar to the scene in 1991 when Nigel Mansell gave Ayrton Senna a ride back to the pits after the chequered flag at the British Grand Prix, Alonso stopped to bring Webber back after his car stopped on the final lap with engine failure.
“It was good for the show, it was good TV and it should have been dealt with a fine or a slap on the wrist,” said Red Bull boss Christian Horner.
“What’s a shame is that it’s ended up in a reprimand, and because it’s the third it means a 10-place penalty. Unfortunately, reprimands are the only things now available to the stewards [only teams and not drivers can now be fined], and perhaps in this instance talking to the drivers would have sufficed.
“Ideally, a fine would have been better, but I don’t think that’s something that’s available to the stewards now.
“It’s frustrating because it now puts Mark on the back foot in Korea, and that’s the bit that doesn’t really make sense. But I understand the difficulty the stewards have with the penalties they have at their disposal.”
Having parked down an escape road at turn seven of the Marina Bay Street Circuit, video footage shown by the FIA to the media showed Webber running back to the side of the track with the slow-down lap under way after team-mate Sebastian Vettel had taken victory.
As if the Australian was hailing a cab, Alonso stopped in the middle of the track for Webber just as Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen passed to his right, forcing the Finn to also grind to a halt.
Webber then jumped on the left-hand side pod of Alonso’s Ferrari, with Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg initially flashing by directly behind him and a surprised Lewis Hamilton slowing and driving to the right soon after.
“I was doing my in-lap, came round the corner and Fernando was there, and I was really shocked,” said Hamilton.
“I went to the right, but if Mark had been walking across where I went then I would have run him over. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.
“In sport, something like that is cool. Remember Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna. There have been times where I’ve driven past someone else who has stopped and I’d wished I’d stopped.
“It’s good for the fans to see, and as long as it’s done in a safe manner, you don’t stop on the racing line, then maybe it should be allowed for the future.”
Webber will be in Australia this week as part of the fundraising event in memory of multiple truck racing champion, the late Rodney Crick.
VIDEO: Nigel Mansell gives Ayrton Senna a ride in 1991
