Countless confusing penalties were handed out in Doha during the Qatar Grand Prix weekend – and some drivers are already looking for ways to game the system.

It should come as no surprise that the ever-tactical Fernando Alonso is one of these drivers. After Max Verstappen was penalized for a starting place, he has found a way to push his rivals into the background.

Fernando Alonso plans to “push crazy” on slow laps.

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

After qualifying for the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix, pole sitter Max Verstappen received a very strange penalty.

The offensive moment occurred in the third quarter. The Red Bull driver was on a slow lap before his final hot lap of the session when George Russell’s Mercedes appeared behind him.

However, Russell was Also on a slow lap; He was simply much faster than Verstappen or the other slow lap cars in front of him.

The Mercedes driver tried to avoid contact with evasive maneuvers and even went so far as to suggest that driving through the gravel trap could have been the reason why he was unable to improve in the session.

It was announced overnight that the stewards had reviewed the incident and concluded that Verstappen was to blame. He was given a one-place grid penalty, effectively demoting him from first to second place.

Further data from the Qatar GP:

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The maneuver left many fans and pundits guessing – but Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso had a particularly captivating storyline.

When asked about the penalties in the race, Alonso admitted to media, including PlanetF1.com, that he thought they were fair. It was Verstappen’s qualifying penalty that struck him as odd.

“I just read the news that there was a penalty for one place, I don’t know,” Alonso said. “He was slow, but George was on a slow lap too.

“So if I do a slow lap in Abu Dhabi, if he impedes me, I will furiously attack the car in front of me to get a penalty.”

It was an ironic joke from the Spaniard, but he still focuses on the big concern about Verstappen’s punishment: setting this precedent allows for a cynical interpretation of the rules. Why not speed up behind a driver you think is overtaking you in the hope that they will receive an impaired driving ticket?

Apart from that, Alonso was very complimentary about the management and the race management.

“I think they have a tough race here,” he admitted.

“They monitored F2 and F1 on the same weekend and are still doing a good job,” he said of new race director Rui Marques.

“So it’s only the second race for the race director. So far I think he’s doing a very good job.”

Read more: Qatar GP driver ratings: Hamilton’s horror show, Zhou’s huge surprise