Albon hit with Melbourne grid drop for clash with Stroll

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Alex Albon earned himself a three-place grid drop and two penalty points on his licence for causing a collision with Aston Martin's Lance Stroll in Sunday's race in Jeddah.

The two drivers were battling for position just outside the top ten with three to go when Albon attempted to pass Stroll on the inside of Turn 1.

But a contact ensued that spun the Canadian while the Williams driver was forced to retire on the spot.

“He dived,” said Stroll. “I felt like I left room but I’m not exactly sure.”

“We were trying to fight our way into the points at the end and I went for the move with Lance,” commented Albon.

“He made a strong defence and unfortunately, we made contact. We had to retire due to the puncture, but the points were almost there, and we had to go for it.”

2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix - Race results

The stewards showed no leniency towards the Williams charger arguing that Albon had “locked up and collided with car 18 at the apex of the corner”, a maneuver that rendered the Anglo-Thai racer responsible for the run-in.

Albon's three-place grid drop demotion will be applied at the next race in Australia in two weeks.

The stewards also called up three drivers to their office for allegedly breaching single and double yellow flags on the penultimate lap of the race.

Carlos Sainz, Kevin Magnussen and Sergio Perez all made the trip but the stewards' panel took no further action.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.