Villeneuve blasts Stroll for 'dangerous driving' in US GP

40

Jacques Villeneuve says Lance Stroll should be hit with a one-race ban for his "unacceptable" defensive maneuver against Alpine's Fernando Alonso in last Sunday's US Grand Prix.

Stroll was leading Alonso down COTA's back straight on lap 22 when the Spaniard got a run on the Canadian. But as Alonso pulled out of the Aston Martin's slipstream, Stroll veered slightly left in a bid to defend his position.

Contact ensued and Alonso's Alpine briefly went airborne before it crashed to the ground and brushed the barriers. However, it miraculously survived any terminal damage while Stroll retired on the spot and was handed a three-place grid drop for next weekend's Mexican Grand Prix.

But Villeneuve, writing in his usual column for Formule1.nl, believes the punishment levied upon his countryman doesn't fit the crime.

"We had a pretty exciting race in America but not always for the right reasons," commented the 1997 F1 world champion. "We saw a bit of everything.

"Masterful driving but also dangerous actions and drivers who drove badly. It was a mix of anything and everything, but that’s what this show is all about.

"When I talk about dangerous driving, I’m talking about Lance Stroll. He should be suspended for one race for the Fernando Alonso incident.

Read also:

The FIA have been very lax in both Formula 1 and lower classes with drivers swinging out on the straight when that’s the most dangerous thing there is and the last thing you want to see.

"It’s pathetic and extremely dangerous.

"By swinging out on the straight, you endanger other drivers – possibly fatally, because you can cause a huge accident like that. And that’s because you consciously decide to do something like that, not because you’re making a mistake.

"So, it’s really unacceptable.

"The FIA need to step up and hand out more penalties for this kind of action. Even if it doesn’t lead to an accident because we have been lucky it didn’t go wrong before. And it already starts in the lower classes."

Villeneuve wasn't the only ex-racer to point an incriminatory finger at Stroll for his actions. Three-time Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti took to social media after last Sunday's race to offer the FIA a dire warning.

"These late changes of direction on the Straight are going to kill someone," wrote Franchitti.

"FIA, time to sort this behaviour out once and for all. It has bled down to the junior formula too."

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

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.