Alfa Romeo to appeal Raikkonen, Giovinazzi penalties

Alfa Romeo has confirmed that it will appeal the FIA's decision to penalise both of its drivers after the German Grand Prix, which dropped them both out of the points.

Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi originally finished eighth and ninth respectively but were investigated after it was found their clutch and torque performance at the start didn't fall into the regulations.

However, Alfa Romeo team principal Frederic Vasseur is confident that the penalties can be overturned, which would deliver the team's points back.

"It is extremely disappointing to have both cars penalised and pushed out of the points in what had been such an exciting race,” said Vasseur.

“The situation arose during the laps we spent behind the safety car ahead of the standing start: we suffered a dysfunction of the clutch that was beyond our control and we will further investigate the issue.

"We respect the FIA’s process and the stewards’ work, but will appeal this decision as we believe we have the grounds and evidence to have it overturned. In this regard, we will be in touch with the FIA soon.

“Kimi and Antonio drove very well in challenging conditions and seventh and eighth place were the rightful reward for their performance.

"The team worked really hard to put both cars in the points and we showed once again that we have the pace to fight at the sharp end of the midfield. This race was a great showcase for Formula 1 and it’s a pity it ended this way.”