In Melbourne, Aston Martin F1 secured 12 points as Lance Stroll finished seventh, benefiting from Alonso’s penalty. A strategic race highlighted their teamwork.
Following a contentious incident with George Russell, Fernando Alonso staunchly defended his actions, sparking debate within the F1 community about the fine line between competitive racing and sportsmanship on the track.
Alonso did “what any driver would do”
Fernando Alonso, therefore, ranked eighth after being found guilty of a brake test, meaning he braked sharply to hinder George Russell, leading to an accident for Russell. The Spaniard explained his side.
“We got a bit lucky with the virtual safety car timing when Lewis [Hamilton] retired. Then, I was quite happy to be behind Checo [Perez] because I could use the DRS to build the gap,” the two-time world champion recounted.
“I lost a lot of time when Charles [Leclerc] exited the pits, but the seconds we gained turned out to be crucial in the end,” he continued before sharing his version of the incident with George Russell.
“In the last laps, George caught up quickly. I knew he was coming, then he was in the DRS zone for five or six laps, so I just did qualifying laps to stay ahead. I wanted to maximize my exit speed from turn 6 to defend against him.”
“That’s what any racing driver would do, and I didn’t think it was dangerous. It’s disappointing to receive a penalty from the stewards for what was hard but fair racing. I’m glad George is okay, though. It wasn’t nice to see his car in the middle of the track.”
“It wasn’t our best weekend in terms of pace, but our race was well executed: good strategy, incredible pit stops, great reliability. I think we probably scored more points today than our pace deserved, but we’ll take that.”
Stroll Scores Points in Melbourne
Aston Martin F1 scored 12 points in Melbourne, with Lance Stroll crossing the finish line in seventh place but ranking sixth due to a penalty against his teammate, Fernando Alonso. The Canadian driver reflected on a solid race during which he remained in the top 10.
“It was a solid race today, and I’m happy to score some points,” Stroll stated. “I had a good start, gaining a few places on the first lap, then settled into a good rhythm.”
“The biggest challenge, as expected, was managing tire degradation, but I took good care of them, and the team did a great job with the race strategy.”
“We still have pace to find in the car, but I believe we’re leaving Australia knowing we made the most of the package we have.”
Alonso Defends Actions in Russell Incident. Alonso Defends Actions in Russell Incident
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