Alpine’s Fernando Alonso has called the stewards’ inconsistencies into question after Sergio Perez’s overtake on Charles Leclerc and Sir Lewis Hamilton at the British Grand Prix.
Perez had recovered back to the pointy end in Silverstone after taking damage following contact with Leclerc, and he found himself battling with the Monegasque again when Ferrari neglected to bring him in for fresh tyres.
With the other Ferrari of Carlos Sainz running off into the, distance, Perez, Leclerc and Hamilton crossed swords in a tremendous battle for second.
The Mexican ran off the circuit at the Vale Chicane, allowing Hamilton to swoop past as he got ahead of Leclerc, and the Red Bull driver dived back down the inside of the seven-time champion at Village a few corners later.
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There were question marks as to why Perez was allowed to keep racing Hamilton after he had gone off the circuit to pass Leclerc, but the stewards found no wrongdoing.
Earlier this season, Alonso was penalised in Miami for leaving the track and gaining an advantage; he gave back the time he gained on Valtteri Bottas, but he escaped Mick Schumacher’s DRS window as a result of the indiscretion, leaving the German vulnerable to threats from behind before he eventually crashed with Sebastian Vettel.
The double world champion was also caught weaving on the straight to defend his position on the final lap in Canada, and he felt the same should have happened to Leclerc for the same offence on Hamilton, so it is safe to say he is not too impressed with race control’s decisions recently.
“I think we will bring the point tomorrow in the briefing,” he said, quoted by Crash.net.
“Honestly, I watched the race on Monday and more than the movements on the straight, I saw the action between Charles, Checo and Lewis, which obviously was fantastic to watch on TV and for me to witness behind the cars.
“But at the beginning of the year, leaving the track was not allowed, it was very clear, black and white.
“And now, leaving the track and keep flat out on the run-off area and keep fighting on the following corner was allowed.
“So that’s a completely different direction with what we have seen so far so it will be very, very interesting to clear this up.
“We have been told that the one thing that was very clear to police was the white line.
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“Other things, the stewards’ decision can be changeable, you know, between racetracks or corners or whatever.
“But the white lines will be this year, you know, very clear and it was not in Silverstone.
“So, I leave the track in Miami on one corner and I gain advantage for them, and they have to imagine that I gain advantage because I give back.
“The fact was that I gave back all the advantage.
“Now it was a clear gaining of advantage because you can fight on the next corner on the inside or outside, so it’s clear, and it was no penalty so I’m very confused.”
Alonso ended the race fifth behind Leclerc, and he joked after the race that the 24-year-old should have received a “15-second” penalty for moving three times to defend from Hamilton.