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F1 Today | Alonso backs Verstappen amid penalty drama, Norris reacts
The dust has officially settled at the Lusail International Circuit on the day after an action-packed Qatar Grand Prix. Teams, drivers and fans have been reflecting on the race, with a keen eye on the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Fernando Alonso has backed Max Verstappen after he received a one-place grid penalty for an incident with George Russell on Sunday. Lando Norris reacted to rival Verstappen flagging up his offence, which landed him a 10-second stop-go penalty, and Toto Wolff has responded to internet trolls who suspect that Mercedes are not running equal cars. It's all happening, and you can read it all here!
Alonso backs Verstappen:
Fernando Alonso disagrees with the punishment Max Verstappen received for the incident with George Russell during qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix. Like Verstappen, the Aston Martin driver fears the decision sets a dangerous precedent.
"In Abu Dhabi, if I'm on a slow lap, I will push crazy to the car in front to have a penalty, I guess if he's impeding me. That's the only thing that we need to be careful," he revealed to GPblog and others. The FIA once again came under scrutiny during the Qatar GP. As well as Verstappen's one-place grid drop for driving too slowly on a cool-down lap, a number of heavy penalties were handed out, including a stop-and-go penalty and a drive-through penalty to Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton respectively. There was also much talk about the decision not to deploy a safety car for the detached mirror that was on the straight. Read the full article by clicking here.
Norris reacts to Verstappen's 'snitching':
Lando Norris was on course for second place and still had a chance of winning the Qatar Grand Prix, but a hefty penalty from the FIA took the McLaren driver out of the race. Max Verstappen initially reported him to race control, but Norris can understand that.
"Good looking," Norris said to GPblog and others. who can understand why Verstappen reported the offence. "That's what everyone does. I would do the same. Happy for him I would say," the Brit added about the Dutchman's victory. See Norris' full verdict by clicking this link!
Wolff slams conspiracy theorists:
Toto Wolff has lashed out at conspiracy theories that believe Mercedes is providing George Russell with a faster car than Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion finished outside the points in Qatar and had a torrid race overall. Meanwhile, George Russell finished in fourth place after starting on pole, a result which was still disappointing for the team principal.
"I've never read comments. I just heard that that nonsense appears. Now you can talk at length about the toxic environment of social media but I've always said it. You hide yourself behind the screen, you open up an account and then you put these comments," Wolff said to GPblog and others after the Qatar Grand Prix. See his full rant with this link.
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