Ex-Formula 1 driver Mark Webber has admitted that he thought Fernando Alonso’s driving during the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was a “bit dangerous”, when he tried to catch out Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton accused Alonso of trying to brake test him on the run into Turn 5, after the Spaniard had exited the pits for the second and final time.
Just before the Turn 5 braking zone is the DRS detection line, which is where a driver must be within one-second of the car in front to receive DRS in the next zone.
Having DRS on the main straight between Turns 5 and 6 can be crucial, something Alonso was aware of.
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The two-time World Champion didn’t want to give Hamilton DRS, so he pulled to the right of the racing line and suddenly slowed down, to try and receive DRS himself if Hamilton flew past.
Instead, Hamilton was forced to suddenly brake hard, before he complained over the radio that his former McLaren teammate tried to brake test him.
Alonso was investigated by the stewards for ‘erratic driving’ but ultimately wasn’t punished.
Hamilton once again insisted after the race that the two-time World Champion tried to brake test him, an accusation Alonso downplayed.
The Aston Martin driver explained how himself and Hamilton had been involved in a similar incident before and that he “won” in “both cases”.
“We did the same in Canada, I think, in 2012,” Alonso told reporters, as per The Mirror.
“So 11 years after that episode, we try just to give the DRS to the other guy, braking for turn five. But in both cases, I won. So it’s okay. Obviously Lewis is very clever, understands the sport really good and has a lot of experience. But I have more.”
Whilst Alonso seemingly saw the funny side of the incident, Webber didn’t.
The former Red Bull driver believes Alonso’s antics were not only “dangerous” but also “personal”, as the Spaniard tried to “manipulate the DRS point”.
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“This is a bit personal,” Webber said on Channel 4.
“We know that these two have a lot of history. Down to the DRS, so they’re basically playing, Fernando was trying to manipulate the DRS point, obviously they’re into the activation onto this long back straight.
“And when we go on board, watch Fernando in the mirror – he’s looking, he’s looking, so long, he’s actually off the track, he’s lifting. That could have got quite embarrassing, but also, [it was] a bit dangerous.”