Alpine’s Fernando Alonso has called for the drivers to be given some “privacy” on the team radio after his spicy message was broadcast in Belgium last weekend.
The Spaniard started the race third ahead of Sir Lewis Hamilton after Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Esteban Ocon were all given penalties, so there was a chance, perhaps, for them to compete for a podium finish.
Hamilton crept ahead of the 41-year-old heading down the Kemmel Straight, and Alonso defended the inside line as he fought to keep the position.
Unsighted as to the presence of the double world champion, and thinking that he was already ahead, the 37-year-old turned into the apex, and the pair made contact.
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The seven-time champion was launched up into the air by the Alpine’s front wing, and his car violently came down, damaging the back and underside of the W13.
It led to a retirement for the 103-time race winner, who trudged back to the pits and accepted in the media pen that he was to blame for the incident.
The stewards saw no wrongdoing from either side though, ruling it as a racing incident, and Alonso eventually finished fifth ahead of Leclerc.
Following the incident though, the 32-time race winner delivered a radio message to his team, calling his former team-mate an “idiot,” and suggesting that Hamilton only knows how to “start first” and win races.
In the heat of the moment, the Spaniard made a comment, and since emotions are so high, some great content can be extracted from some of the radio messages.
Alonso, however, does not feel that radio messages should be broadcast to the public.
“I don’t think so, as I said, that is the only sport, in football, in tennis, in whatever, you can have your moments of privacy with your team,” he told Motorsport.com.
“But I know that this is part of the show, and as I said, all the things that are broadcast in the radio normally are a little bit spicy, because the sport wants that spice into the race.”
The Oviedo-born racer added that he has “huge respect” for Hamilton, and he apologised for the comments he made.
“First of all, Lewis is a champion, he’s a legend of our time, and then when you say something – and I’m sorry to repeat this – against a British driver, there is huge media involvement after that,” added Alonso.
“If you say something to a Latin driver, everything’s a little bit more fun, when you say something to others, it’s a little bit more serious.
“But anyway yes, I apologise, I was not thinking what I said.
“I don’t think that there was much to blame in that moment, to be honest, looking at the replays and everything, because it’s a first-lap incident, we are all very close together.”
Alonso offered a comparison to football, where lots of fruity language is thrown around by players at the height of their emotions.
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“Obviously, you should be aware that is broadcast, but it’s like if someone makes a hard tackle or something in football, in that moment you say something to your teammate, or your defender or wherever, that is not broadcast,” he explained.
Hamilton qualified fourth at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, with Alonso down in 13th after he felt his final run in Q2 was disrupted by Sergio Perez, who will start fifth for Red Bull following his spin in the final session.
Max Verstappen will start on pole after narrowly pipping Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.