Alonso promoted as Maldonado is penalized

Pastor Maldonado has received a ten-place grid penalty in Brazil, meaning title contender Fernando Alonso moves up from eighth to seventh position on the grid

Alonso, hoping for rain on Sunday, now also moves onto the clean side of the starting grid – just as he did in Austin when Ferrari deliberately tampered with Felipe Massa’s gearbox last weekend.

Maldonado’s drop comes as he receives his third reprimand of the season, for failing to attend a requested FIA weight check during qualifying at Interlagos.

‘Any driver who receives three reprimands in the same Championship season will, upon the imposition of the third, be given a ten grid place penalty at that Event,’ reads Article 18.2 of the FIA Sporting Regulations.

Maldonado’s previous two reprimands were handed out for holding up Heikki Kovalainen during Q1 in China and for his clash with Sergio Perez at Silverstone.