Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso lamented the driving tactics employed by RB’s Liam Lawson during Saturday’s Formula 1 Sprint at the United States Grand Prix.
Alonso and Lawson were seen scrapping over 16th place during the Sprint, with no quarter given between the pair.
Post-Sprint, Alonso sought out Lawson in the pit lane to voice his displeasure with the young New Zealander.
Post-qualifying on Saturday afternoon at the Circuit of the Americas, Alonso explained to select media including Motorsport Week why he took issue with Lawson’s driving.
“Everyone on track is behaving as he wants, and for me today it was unnecessary, everyone can have different opinions, I’m okay with that,” Alonso said.
The veteran Spaniard referred to his incident with now team-mate Lance Stroll during the 2022 US Grand Prix, where a nasty coming together occurred on the back straight.
Alonso said the same nearly happened with Lawson in Saturday’s Sprint.
“On the straight we nearly crashed like I did with Lance [Stroll] two years ago, at 300 [kmph] something,” he said.
“He squeezed out of the corners to the track limits itself, in Lap 1, out of Turb 11, I don’t want to make a big thing, you know, of course, no penalty when someone lifts off in 16, 17, that was probably the biggest surprise.”
READ MORE: Fernando Alonso aiming to win third F1 title in ‘the next two or three years’
Liam Lawson unsure why Fernando Alonso took issue with him post-Sprint
Lawson, on his first race back in F1 since last year’s Qatar GP, was unsure why Alonso was so aggrieved with his driving.
“He was really upset, I’m not sure why, we were racing for P16 and I don’t know why he was so upset,” the RB driver said.
“Yeah, I don’t know. It is what it is. Hopefully he can get over it and we’ll move forward.”
Lawson revealed that in the heat of the moment post-Sprint, Alonso would “screw” him later on in qualifying.
The New Zealander explained that Alonso engaged in “playing games” out of the pits during Q1 – commenting, “I guess he kept his word.”
Still, Lawson could understand why Alonso’s tempers could be frayed, given the lowly positions the pair were fighting over on Saturday.
“I understand he had a pretty horrible race so I can understand why he’s upset,” he said.
“But if I did anything wrong I’d have got a penalty.
“It is what it is, it’s part of it – it doesn’t both me.”
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