SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Australian Formula One rookie Jack Doohan has yet to score a regular point from his three races to date but the Alpine driver left the Chinese Grand Prix with four penalty points on his super-licence.
The 22-year-old son of motorcycle great Mick was given two penalty points, as well as a 10-second penalty, on Sunday for forcing Racing Bulls’ French rookie Isack Hadjar off track after trying to retake a position.
That added to the two he collected on Saturday for a collision in the sprint race with Sauber’s Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto.
Any driver collecting 12 points in a 12-month period faces a one-race ban.
“It was unfortunate to receive the penalty that we did, and we will revisit it to ensure it does not happen again,” Doohan said in a team review of the race.
Doohan started the season last weekend with his future looking uncertain after Renault-owned Alpine signed Argentine Franco Colapinto, who raced last year for Williams, as reserve on a multi-year contract.
To wrap up a miserable weekend for Alpine, Pierre Gasly was disqualified from 11th place when his car was found to be under weight.
Had that not been the case, Alpine would have scored their first points of the season with Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton disqualified from fifth and sixth for technical infringements.
Alpine are now the only team yet to score this season.
(Writing by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Clare Fallon)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.