Fernando Alonso delivered a stinging verdict on the quality of racing at the back of Formula 1’s field in the United States Grand Prix, and singling out Alex Albon for particular criticism.
The Aston Martin veteran believed a precious points opportunity had been squandered in Austin after Albon’s Williams struck the side of his AMR26 during a first-lap battle for position.
The damage was severe, the stewards took no action, and Alonso was left to salvage just 16th place from what he considered his strongest race of the season.
For the 45-year-old Spaniard, the incident was more than an unfortunate racing clash. It was a costly reminder of the hazards of fighting in traffic when the cars around him are struggling for pace, and their drivers are struggling to meet the required standard.
‘The car is destroyed’
Alonso was left counting the cost after inspecting his Aston Martin in parc fermé, where the extent of the damage became painfully clear.
“I think we lost half a second or more. The car is destroyed. I saw it in parc fermé. Half of the floor is not there,” Alonso told reporters after the race.
“I don’t know how we kept on going and how we were semi-competitive. I imagine if the car was in one piece, probably today the points were a possibility. A strong possibility because we were running P12 with half a car.
Alonso’s frustration was sharpened by the belief that Aston Martin had genuine points-scoring potential before the contact.
Running 12th despite the compromised machinery, he felt the team had been denied a realistic chance to make progress in the Constructors’ standings.
“We could have scored points today and maybe get close to Williams in the constructors’ championship, but they made sure that we didn’t have any chance,” he added.
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“I think when you start at the back, there is this risk always. I think the quality of the drivers in the lower third of the grid is very low, as we saw today with Alex. But I think we need to improve the car and start a little bit higher up.”
His prescription was blunt: improve the car, qualify further up the order and avoid the risks that come with fighting in the lower reaches of the field. The criticism of Albon, however, made clear that Alonso believed the problem extended beyond Aston Martin’s own performance.
Albon sees a different picture
Albon, who finished 17th behind Alonso, offered a rather more convivial account of the encounter, acknowledging the contact and its consequences without accepting the Spaniard’s broader assessment of the battle.
“It’s always fun to race Fernando,” Albon said. “He’s strong but he’s fair always. Maybe he thought I was a bit over the edge, I don’t know. I’m sure I’ll find out soon. But I had a good amount of fun, I think.
“I was on the inside of Fernando, so then I think it pinched. And I tried to get out of the way and get on the curb, but I didn’t make good of it.
“So I imagine he got damaged. I know I got damaged driving around with a broken wing for the race.”
Albon’s remarks suggested a messy racing incident rather than the one-sided offence Alonso’s reaction implied. The Williams driver also confirmed that he had been forced to contend with damage of his own, having spent the race nursing a broken front wing.
That offered little consolation to Alonso, whose afternoon had been derailed before he could convert his pace into a result.
With the stewards leaving the incident unpunished, the two-time world champion was left to make his feelings known in the only place available to him: the post-race interview.
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