Alonso wants discussion over F1 red flag tyre rule amid ‘compromised’ Monaco GP

Fernando Alonso has stated that he would welcome discussions over Formula 1’s red flag tyre rules amid the situation creating a “compromised” Monaco Grand Prix.

The discussion has been reopened since a processional encounter in Monte Carlo where the top 10 remained unchanged from the starting grid for the first time ever.

This came about as a consequence of the opening lap stoppage which enabled the drivers to change compounds and nullified possible strategic variance in the race.

Several drivers labelled the 78-lap race “boring” as the entire field circulated at a much-reduced pace to ensure that their rubber could be nursed to the chequered flag.

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Alonso believes the single ingredient that creates “excitement” in Monaco was eradicated last weekend due to a regulation that could perhaps be removed altogether.

“When there is a red flag and then you change tyres and you go to the end, the only point of interest in a Monaco race is the pitstops that you have to do,” Alonso said.

“If you remove that excitement of a pit stop, then it becomes nothing.

“Maybe it reopens the conversations of when there is a red flag, not changing tyres or be obliged to have the same tyre or something.

“Because if not, there are certain occasions that the race is compromised.”

However, Alonso, who was eliminated in Q1 as he rued traffic preventing him from progressing, has conceded that doesn’t explain Aston Martin’s uncompetitive pace.

“In our case it was very unlucky again,” Alonso continued. I think we didn’t have the pace. It was a bad weekend. No doubt about that.

“We cannot hide our performance, but also we cannot hide that we’ve been very unlucky.

“We started with a Hard tyre just to go very end and have an alternative strategy.

“There is a red flag, so we have to fit the medium and do 78 laps with the Medium, which is a kamikaze strategy, but it was the only way to try to score some points.”

The Spaniard was promoted two places when the Haas cars were disqualified, but most of his race comprised running at a slow pace to help team-mate Lance Stroll.

While Stroll was able to build a gap big enough to pit onto new Medium tyres, a rear-left puncture when he tapped the barrier at the Nouvelle chicane slipped him back.

Alonso revealed he was under the impression that he was repelling Daniel Ricciardo’s advances over the last point until he was told at the end he had finished in 11th.

“I got confused because when Lance was in front of me after the pitstops, they said, ‘okay, we secured 10th’,” he divulged. “We’ve been doing all this for that last point.

“Then Lance had the puncture, I said, ‘Oh, now I have all the responsibility in my shoulders with very old tyres to bring this point back home.’ I was driving for 50 laps thinking that I was 10th.

“And then when I crossed the line and they told me P11, I said, ‘Oh, so, uh, all that stress for nothing.’ But anyway, it kept me alive.

“I don’t know. When the red flag came out, Lance was P10, I was P12.

“And then at one point they reinstated Sainz in P3, so we were 12th and 14th, we should be 13th and 14th, but Lance was in front of Daniel that he was not supposed to be.

“So I don’t know in which position I started, and I don’t know in which position I was driving.”