Alonso holds ‘nice and friendly’ chat with FIA president after criticism

Fernando Alonso has forgiven all after his Miami Grand Prix penalty that saw him finish P11.

Fernando Alonso has cleared the air with FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem after he lashed out at the stewards follow the Miami Grand Prix.

Alonso was given 10 seconds’ worth of penalties in Florida a fortnight ago, the first of which he humbly accepted after he whacked Pierre Gasly and ruined the Frenchman’s race into Turn One.

He was not so receptive to the second one though after he insisted that he had given up all the ground he gained running off at Turn 15 while chasing Valtteri Bottas.

READ: Fernando Alonso slams ‘unprofessional’ stewards

When Alpine went to the stewards’ room to prove that their driver had rescinded the advantage gained, they had already gone home, and Alonso was not best pleased.

“It was unfair. It was just incompetence from the stewards, they were not very professional I think in Miami. I missed one corner, then I gave back the time on the lap,” he said.

The reason for the penalty was ultimately that Mick Schumacher was denied DRS after he fell over a second back in the detection zone due to Alonso’s indiscretion, and this put Esteban Ocon on his tail.

The German ran wide in trying to defend from Alonso’s team-mate, allowing Sebastian Vettel to get through, before the two Germans both ended up out of the points when they made contact following a dive to the inside by the 23-year-old.

Alonso and ben Sulayem stopped for a chat to clarify what had happened, and the double world champion is ready to leave it be.

Article continues below

“I speak with him regularly. He knew my feedback after Miami already,” he told AS.

“So he was aware of everything. At the end of the day, we are all trying to help each other you know, the FIA, drivers, GPDA, we are all in the same boat, and we try to make the sport more fair and better.

“So I think it was a nice and friendly talk, and we will move forward and hopefully get better and more consistent.”

The 40-year-old finally scored points in Spain after going four races without any, and he did so having started P20 after an unfortunate incident with Lando Norris during qualifying.

He took a penalty to start last, but recovered to ninth in front of his adoring home crowd, and he accredited his result to the “magic of motorsport.”

“I think it was a mega race for us today because we started last,” Alonso told Sky Sports.

“We changed the engine last night in a way, even sacrifice a little bit this weekend because we knew that it was difficult to overtake here in Barcelona. And then we finished in the points.

READ: Hamilton fans flock to his defence after seven-time champion mocked in Barcelona

“We started P5, P6 a few races ago and we never ended in the points and now we’re starting last and we finished in the points so that’s the magic of motorsport.”

The Spaniard’s result in Barcelona moves him back in front of Alex Albon and into 15th in the Drivers’ Standings.