The United States Grand Prix it turned out to be a real disappointment for the Alpine team, with both drivers of the French team forced to retire due to mechanical problems. While Esteban Ocon surrendered on lap 42, Fernando Alonso raised the white flag just five laps from the checkered flag, ending a race prematurely in which the two-time world champion raised some controversy towards the Race Direction.
A protest that once again focuses on the interpretation of the sporting regulations, with the Spaniard who had already in the past stressed, according to him, the inconsistency on the evaluation of certain episodes rather than others by the stewards. In this circumstance, the Asturian drew attention to what happened in his own wheel to wheel with Kimi Raikkonen, which took place at the first corner of the 16th lap: in an attempt to defend himself from the attack of the Finn Alfa Romeo, the number 14 of the Alpine pushed Iceman outwards, with the latter still resisting Alonso’s move by overcoming him outside the track limits, with lots of contact between the two. The fact, noticed by the Race Direction, however, acquitted Raikkonen, who therefore did not have to give up the position at a later time.
Subsequently, Alonso himself then outclassed the other Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi at the exit of turn 12, taking advantage of the outside of the track to get the better of the Italian. In that case, however, the Race Direction ordered the Alpine rider to give the position back to the Apulian. More than what happened with the pilot from Martina Franca, the Spaniard emphasized his dissatisfaction with what happened with Raikkonen, expressing himself as follows at the end of the GP: “Obviously it is a decision that we have to respect – commented – I don’t know if you saw the whole race, but at turn 12, I think during the first lap, there was an overtaking by Norris on Sainz: the latter went outside, but returning to the track he then regained his position on English, raising the foot successively. The same thing happened between me and Giovinazzi in the same corner on the occasion in the second duel with him: I attacked him on the inside and forced him to go out towards the outside. He also overtook me by taking advantage of the external escape route, then giving me my position ”.
“In a certain sense, when you brake inside to complete an overtake, you always force the other driver to get out: it is up to the latter to decide whether to give up the position or commit to the end to keep it, while going beyond the limits. of the runway. I did it, as did Sainz and Giovinazzi, but not Kimi. That’s why I find it all inconsistent“. More than for the duel with the Italian driver, Alonso therefore raised his complaint about Raikkonen’s maneuver, which was considered regular by the Race Direction: “With Antonio I braked very late at turn 12, missing it completely – he concluded – and then I passed it on the outside. When the team informed me that I should have given him the position, I immediately understood that it was the right thing to do. Unfortunately, I was already three seconds ahead of him, so I lost time to slow down. He also did the same thing with me afterwards, but it was with Kimi that it all seemed strange to me. In that maneuver I was not trying to prove anything. I just wanted to recover positions, as the top 10 was our goal. In any case, we must respect what the FIA says ”.
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