Fernando Alonso of the Aston Martin F1 Team AMR24 believes that Lewis Hamilton will likely escape punishment for his involvement in the incident at Turn 1 during the Miami Grand Prix Sprint race, simply because he is not Spanish. Hamilton, starting from 12th place, made a late move on the inside of Turn 1, causing Alonso to steer towards his teammate Lance Stroll. This resulted in contact between the two drivers, with Stroll’s car colliding with Lando Norris’ McLaren, forcing both out of the race. Alonso also suffered a puncture as a result of the incident, hampering his chances of a good finish.
Despite the incident, Hamilton was able to continue racing and finished in eighth place, although he later received a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane. When asked about the possibility of the stewards taking action, Alonso expressed doubt, suggesting that Hamilton’s nationality may play a role in the decision. Alonso felt that Hamilton’s actions had negatively impacted several drivers, particularly Norris, who had a fast car and was forced out of the race due to the incident.
Following the incident, Alonso pitted to change his punctured tire and found himself at the back of the field behind the Safety Car. He then engaged in a battle with his former teammate Esteban Ocon. Alonso, who had previously been penalized for contact with Carlos Sainz in the China Sprint, stated that he chose not to take risks against Ocon to avoid potential penalties.
Alonso acknowledged that he often faces penalties for his actions on the track, even if he didn’t receive one in this particular race. He revealed that he opted to focus on completing the race without taking unnecessary risks. The shortened race served as a test session for Alonso to gather information about tire degradation and other factors that will be important for tomorrow’s grand prix.
According to Alonso, the Sprint race held little significance for his team, as their main objective was to assess the car’s performance and make necessary adjustments for the upcoming qualifying session and the 57-lap race tomorrow. He emphasized the importance of drawing conclusions from the Sprint race to improve the car for the remainder of the weekend.