Formula 1: Antonio Giovinazzi penalized, stripped of 8th in German Grand Prix

Following the German Grand Prix at the Hockenheimring, Antonio Giovinazzi was stripped of his Formula 1 career-high eight place finish via a 30-second time penalty.

Alfa Romeo Racing rookie Antonio Giovinazzi entered Sunday’s Formula 1 race, the German Grand Prix, at the Hockenheimring, just two races removed from a career-high 10th place finish in the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring.

The 25-year-old Italian set a new career-high finish of eighth place in the 21-race 2019 season’s 11th race, the 64-lap race around the 16-turn, 2.842-mile (4.574-kilometer) Hockenheimring road course in Am Motodrom, Hockenheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany.

But after the race ended, that eighth place finish turned into a 13th place finish via a 30-second time penalty, and he lost the four points that he originally scored as a result of it.

As a result of a breach of Article 27.1, which pertains to clutch torque application during race starts, Giovinazzi was demoted from 13.849 seconds behind race winner Max Verstappen of Aston Martin Red Bull Racing to 43.849 seconds behind him, making him the lowest scored driver who actually finished the race.

According to Formula 1, the race stewards discovered that the torque in the clutch at the start of the race did not match the torque demand as Giovinazzi released the clutch “within the specified 70 millisecond maximum period. This time was measured at approximately 300 milliseconds.”

Here is what Alfa Romeo Racing team principal Frederic Vasseur had to say about Giovinazzi’s 30-second time penalty, according to Formula 1.

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

Alfa Romeo Racing’s Kimi Raikkonen, who originally finished this race in seventh place, was issued a 30-second time penalty for the same reason, so he was officially scored in 12th. As a result, the five drivers who originally finished from ninth through 13th gained two positions.