Aston Martin has been handed a double €25,000 fine, some of which has been suspended, for Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll missing a Fan Zone appearance at Formula 1's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The two drivers and a team representative had been summoned to see the stewards on Saturday morning to explain why the duo had failed to attend a mandatory fan engagement activity on Friday.
While Aston Martin claimed that the two drivers had not been expected to attend because they had not driven in opening free practice - in which the team handed both cars to rookies (Jak Crawford and Cian Shields) - this explanation was not accepted by the stewards.
In a statement issued after the hearing, the FIA said that while attending such activities can be inconvenient, "the stewards also acknowledge that fans are the core of Formula 1 and the importance of this is recognised by the FIA."
With the FIA media delegate having advised the stewards that fans had spent several hours waiting for the drivers to appear, the stewards decided that a "significant fine" should be imposed.
While a €25,000 fine for each driver was handed down, it was agreed that €15,000 of this be suspended providing there is no repeat offence by Aston Martin within the next 12 months.
The statement said the stewards: "have considered and accepted the proposal of the competitor to attend the fan zone this weekend and give signed team caps to all fans wearing Aston Martin apparel and to select two fans for a garage tour, view a session from the garage and meet both drivers for a photo opportunity."
The FIA said that the proceeds of the fine would be allocated at the FIA's discretion to the encouragement of fans in this region to become involved in motorsport either as officials or getting engaged in grassroots competition.
