Martin Brundle has criticised Fernando Alonso for the Spaniard’s comments about Sir Lewis Hamilton made just after he was hit by the Brit at the Belgian Grand Prix.
The two former team-mates started next to one another and ended up side by side a few corners into the first lap.
Hamilton tried to pass the Alpine driver and ended up hitting him. The collision caused him to retire from the race, while Alonso avoided any major damage.
Nevertheless, the 41-year-old was furious at the time and made his feelings clear over the team radio.
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“What an idiot! Closing the door from the outside,” he said.
“I mean, we had a mega start but this guy only knows how to drive and start in first.”
He later toned down such criticism after Hamilton accepted full responsibility for the incident after the race.
Even so, while he agrees that Hamilton was to blame, Brundle isn’t impressed with Alonso’s comments, feeling they were not accurate or fair.
In his opinion, Hamilton is one of the cleanest drivers there is.
“Lewis said he couldn’t see Fernando in his blind spot but frankly he was bound to be there somewhere, and the Spaniard tried his best to stay to the inside and give space,” he said in his Sky Sports column.
“Lewis saw the footage and immediately put his hand up and correctly accepted full responsibility. Fernando’s radio comments, albeit fuelled by anger and adrenaline, about Lewis only being able to win from the front were in my opinion wholly inaccurate and unfair.
“Lewis is one of the fairest and cleanest drivers in the history of F1, he hasn’t needed to resort to too many professional fouls given his relentless speed, and just cast your mind back to Brazil last year to remember how he can scythe through the field. Twice.”
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Alonso went on to finish the race in P5, just ahead of the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, and with team-mate Esteban Ocon taking P7 while McLaren failed to score a single point, Alpine consolidated their P4 position in the standings.
While things are steady on track though, that’s not the case off track with it very much unclear who will replace Alonso when he leaves for Aston Martin at the end of the season.
Daniel Ricciardo and Mick Schumacher have been linked with the seat, but the team are said to be focusing on signing Pierre Gasly.