Alonso claims nationality bias: 'Protecting next generation of Spaniards'
F1 News
The penalty has already been pronounced a fortnight ago in China, but continues to worry Fernando Alonso. The two-time world champion even seems to hint that he received a hefty penalty in Shanghai after an incident with Carlos Sainz because he is Spanish. The Aston Martin driver wants clarification on that.
During the sprint race for the Chinese Grand Prix, Alonso and Sainz collided during a fierce battle. The Aston Martin driver suffered a puncture in the process, which dropped him far down the rankings. On top of that, the stewards gave him a hefty time penalty and three penalty points on his licence, bringing his total penalty points to six. A Right to Review, put forward by Aston Martin, was rejected last Saturday.
Alonso thinks 'nationality matters'
After the Miami sprint race, Alonso complained in front of the cameras about Lewis Hamilton's driving behaviour, given that he was not peanlised for it. Alonso was already expecting that 'because he is not a Spaniard'. Later in the day, to international media, the 42-year-old clarified what he meant by that. "I do feel that nationality matters," Alonso said.
“I will speak with Mohammed (Ben Sulayem, FIA president), with FIA, whatever I need to make sure that there is not anything wrong with my nationality or anything that can influence any decision – not only for me, also for the future generation of Spanish drivers that need to be protected.”," Alonso added.