George Russell believes it would have “opened a can of worms” if Fernando Alonso had not been hit with a hefty penalty following the Mercedes driver’s dramatic late crash at the Australian Grand Prix. (More Sports News)
Alonso was handed a 20-second time penalty after Russell’s car ended up on its side having rebounded off the wall in his puᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚrsuit of the double world c🐈hampion in the closing stages in Melbourne two weeks ago.
Following a post-race investigation, Alonso was found to have breached Article 33.4 of the sport’s regulations – effectively finding the Aston Martin racer guilty of driving erratic𒅌ally and in a manner that could be deemed as dangerous.
Speaking ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend, Russell revealed the pair had bumped into one another in a coffee shop recently but did not discuss the issue – Alonso jokingly said: “I didn’t get my coffee, that was the least 🌌that could have happened.”
Russel♏l, though, did double down on his criticism of Alonso’s driving in Australia, and felt the Spaniard overstepped the mark of fair racing.
“I think it was a bit of a strange sit๊uation that happened – I said at the time, I was totally caught by surprise,” he said.
“If it were not to have been penalised it would have opened a can of worms for the rest of the season and in junior categories saying you ꧒are allowed to brake in a straight.
“Every driver is open to change a line, break earlier, power through the corner, do whatever. But when we start breaking in the middle of a straight, down-shift and accelerating, up-shifting﷽ again, then breaking again for a corner. I think that goes beyond the realms of adjusting your line.
“We’ve got﷽ so many duties to take care of when we’re driving… if you add into the mix that you’re allowed to break in the middle of a straight to get a tactical advantage. I think that is maybe one step too far.”
Alonso, meanwhile, continued to def🍌end his actions and said there𝐆 would have not even been a topic of debate on his driving style had Russell not ended up in the wall.
Asked if the incident would have been been forgotten had there not been an accident, h🐻e r🐎eplied: “Oh 100 per cent.
“I was a bit surprised by the penalty in Melbourne but there’s nothing we can do, we have to accept it and move on and concentrate on here, but I think it will not change much on how we drive, how we apprဣoach racing.
“There is no obligation to drive 57 laps in the same way. Sometimes we go at a slower pace, to save fuel, to save tyᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚres, to save bat𓆉tery.
“So all those things are completely normal and it was, it is and �꧃�it will be forever in motorsport. So we had one penalty, probably a one-off that will never be applied ever again.”
Where the pair – as well as a host of other drivers – did agree was on the need to address what has become a dangerous corner on the Albert Park tracℱk.
“We🤡 lost two points or whatever it was for the team but I think the big thing is turn six in Australia is not the safest corner at the moment on that track. That’s probably for me a more important point to change for next year,” said Alo🍸nso.
Russell was in agreement, adding: “The corner is amazing, probably one of the best corners on that circuit. 🌳So I wouldn’t want to see that corner change. But it is true. If you hit that wall, you just bounce back into the track. I think everything is correct, just the position of that wall.”
