"This one is certainly difficult to accept" - Alpine claim they were unable to present evidence against Fernando Alonso's second penalty at 2022 F1 Miami GP

Alpine have claimed that they were not allowed to present evidence against Fernando Alonso's second penalty at the 2022 F1 Miami GP.

The Spaniard dropped out of the points at the end of the race after receiving another five-second time penalty. He was given the penalty for allegedly gaining time off the track in his battle against Haas' Mick Schumacher.

Fernando Alonso had an interesting afternoon in Miami after gaining four positions off the line. However, as the race progressed, he picked up a five-second penalty for colliding with Pierre Gasly while trying to overtake.

The two-time world champion initially finished the race in P9. However, he was later demoted to P11 after receiving another five-second penalty for allegedly cutting the chicane at turn 14, stopping Mick Schumacher from getting DRS benefits down the next straight.

Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi tweeted about Alonso's unfortunate penalization, claiming the team wasn't given a chance to provide proof in the driver's favor. He wrote:

"A disappointing post-race penalty for Fernando leaving the track and gaining an advantage means our six points at the chequered flag turned into four points and cost us a deserved double points finish.

"This one is certainly difficult to accept since Fernando handed back the time during the lap and we were not able to present the evidence to clarify the particular situation before the penalty was issued. With the opportunity to explain, we are very confident Fernando would have kept his ninth place."

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Martin Brundle claims Fernando Alonso had a 'clumsy and angry race' in Miami

Former driver and TV pundit Martin Brundle claims Fernando Alonso had an afternoon to forget in Miami. The Briton claimed that the 40-year-old was frustrated throughout the race, leading to two of his incidents.

A possible reason for Alonso's frustration is the lack of good finishes he has achieved so far in 2022 despite having a car with decent pace.

Brundle reflected on Alonso's race in his Sky Sports column, writing:

"Fernando Alonso had an angry and clumsy race to forget, making contact on a couple of occasions and taking penalties for both that and cutting the track to finish out of the points. He’s carrying a lot of frustration as this season unfolds with solid speed but only two points alongside his name from the first race of the season.

"This allowed the excellent Alex Albon into ninth and two points for Williams, and the pit lane starting Lance Stroll a well-deserved point for Aston Martin. They were both driving well all weekend."

Alpine are hopeful that the upcoming Spanish GP will go further in their favor, with good point finishes for both drivers.