Fernando Alonso has spoken to FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem following comments he made about race direction and the stewards. Assessing the performance of new Race Director Niels Wittich over the first five races of the 2022 season, Alonso stated that the drivers have seen "a couple of things already that proves that we still need to improve a lot". He also described the stewards as "incompetent" for giving him a second five-second time penalty after the Miami Grand Prix "without asking [for] any proof". Following these comments, RacingNews365.com understands that the Alpine driver was requested to pay a visit to the stewards. Giving an update on the situation after Friday practice at the Spanish Grand Prix, Alonso revealed talks with Ben Sulayem. "I've been chatting with [the FIA since] Miami, and [on Friday morning] also, the President came, and I'm very good friends with Mohammed," Alonso told media, including RacingNews365.com . "I think we [will] all try to move forward and to improve the sport – that's the aim for everybody."
What regulations did Alonso potentially break?
It is understood that - following his conversation with Ben Sulayem - Alonso may speak out to clarify his remarks as the weekend develops. As reported by RacingNews365.com on Friday, the FIA Media Delegate reported Alonso to the stewards for allegedly breaching articles 12.2.1 f) and 12.2.1 k) of the FIA's International Sporting Code. Article 12.2.1 f) states that "any words, deeds or writings that have caused moral injury or loss to the FIA, its bodies, its members or its executive officers, and more generally on the interest of motorsport and values defended by the FIA" may be considered a breach of rules. Article 12.2.1 k) says a breach may also be considered if there is "any misconduct towards licence-holders, officials, officers of member of the staff of the FIA, members of the staff of the organiser or promoter, members of the staff of the competitors, doping control officials or any other person involved in a doping control."
Alonso welcomes Freitas into the Race Director hot seat
Wittich is one of two new Race Directors for the 2022 campaign, with Eduardo Freitas joining him in a shared role after the FIA elected to remove Michael Masi from the position in the wake of the controversial 2021 finale. While the pair were originally set to share duties on a three-race rotational basis, Wittich has been in command for the first five rounds of the campaign, with Freitas acting as his deputy when not present at World Endurance Championship events. Having questioned Wittich's performance in the role so far, Alonso welcomed Freitas' move into the hot seat for this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix. He added: "I think Freitas has a lot more experience with WEC and with other categories, at the top level. I think that will already improve things."
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