Fernando Alonso sets record straight as Lewis Hamilton accuses F1 rival of foul play
Fernando Alonso set a record as Lewis Hamilton accuses his Formula 1 rival of foul play.
Lewis Hamilton has accused old rival Fernando Alonso of braking him during the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, prompting an investigation by Aston Martin’s stewards.
Fernando Alonso has hit back at Lewis Hamilton’s brake testing allegations after the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Alonso finished seventh at Yas Marina on Sunday to take fourth in the Drivers’ Championship. But he almost ran into trouble with the stewards who discovered the Aston Martin star in an incident involving old rival Hamilton.
At Turn 5, the Spaniard overtook the Mercedes driver entering the hairpin. But as he approached the corner, Alonso slowed, moved to the right side of the road and lifted the throttle, catching Hamilton off guard.
Alonso was ahead of the England star, who accused the Spaniard of foul play on his team radio. Hamilton can be heard getting angry. “That’s correct. It was brake tested. I passed the brake test as well as on the way to the brake area.”
Crews have decided to take no action while they investigate allegations of erratic driving. Hamilton overtook Alonso on the next straight, with the Spaniard saying his move was a tactic to get ahead.
“Lewis is very intelligent, understands the sport and has a lot of experience, but I have a lot more than that,” he said. “I did the same thing in Canada in 2012, so 11 years after that episode, I tried to give my opponent DRS when braking from Turn 5 and I won both times, so I think it’s all good.”
As Hamilton overtook him, Alonso counter-attacked and regained ground. He finished two places ahead of the seven-time world champion, who finished ninth. Despite taking the lead in Abu Dhabi, Alonso finished one place behind Hamilton in the drivers’ standings with 28 points. This frustrated the legendary Spaniard after an excellent start to the season. “I made the first stop on lap 16 or something like that and I knew from that moment it was going to be a long race, but in the end the pace was only good until seventh or eighth,” said Aston Martin. star. “If you had told me before this weekend that I would finish fourth in the Drivers’ Championship, I wouldn’t have believed you. So this is a really great gift. I am very happy with my driving throughout the season. I think it was my best and most consistent riding season since 2012. “I think we got the most out of this car throughout the season and the whole Aston Martin team did a fantastic job. They may have started this year as underdogs, but they will start 2024 in the limelight. We have to prepare for it.”
