George Russell believes that Fernando Alonso not being punished for his involvement in their crash during the Australian Grand Prix could have created a problematic situation in Formula 1. Russell, who drives for Mercedes, was chasing Alonso’s Aston Martin for sixth place when he crashed on the last lap at Turn 6. Despite this, the FIA Stewards decided to penalize Alonso by imposing a 20-second time drop for braking earlier than usual. Russell admits that he was caught off guard as he found himself behind Alonso while he was looking down at his steering wheel to make adjustments. He describes the incident as strange and unexpected. Alonso defended his tactics, stating that they were not dangerous and that any racing driver would have done the same. Aston Martin boss Mike Krack supported Alonso’s view. However, Russell argues that if Alonso had not been penalized, it would have set a precedent for the rest of the season and other racing categories. He questions whether it would be allowed to brake on a straight or perform semi-erratic maneuvers without consequences. Despite the incident, Russell denies any personal resentment towards Alonso and mentions that they coincidentally bumped into each other at a coffee shop. He emphasizes that on the track, they are competitors, but off the track, they have respect for one another. Both drivers are ready to move forward from the incident.
Siegel's number 18 car already had a different design due to his major accident earlier in the week. Photo: Kevin DejewskiThe bump session for the Indy 500 on...
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