George Russell found himself on its side on his Mercedes after being caught in a legal driving tactic used by the experienced Fernando Alonso. Getty Images/Paul Kroc
George Russell's last-lap crash brought a dramatic finale to the Australian Grand Prix, with Mercedes stranded in the middle of the track. Russell crashed while racing Fernando Alonso for sixth place, although the two drivers did not touch and the Spaniard was penalized 20 seconds. This is a harsh punishment that I do not agree with.
Why did the accident happen in the first place? Russell was closing in on the Aston Martin and had only a few turns left to overtake. Alonso was driving a slower car and decided to turn right at Turn 6 a different way, slowing down earlier than usual. This was done in order to get a cleaner exit from the corner to better protect his position and protect his potential eight points.
By mid-corner Russell was closer to Alonso than in the previous laps, but had lost downforce in the dirty air behind the Aston Martin and understeered off the track into the gravel barrier. Alonso took sixth place before dropping to eighth.
Yes, the telemetry shows a stark difference in Alonso's approach on the previous and final laps. But Russell must see what is happening and anticipate it. He didn't.
Alonso braked well ahead of Russell L57, moments before @GeorgeRussell63 crashed
— 37 km/h slower than the lap earlier, usually at full throttle at this point
— Back on the gas , before rising again before the summit
📸 @f1_tempo_#F1 #AustralianGP #Alonso #Russell pic.twitter.com/44pFvHWqu5
— AMRacingF1 (@AMRacingF1) March 24, 2024
The stewards said in their decision that Alonso was entitled to take the corner differently and should not be held responsible for Russell's loss of downforce in the dirty air and subsequent crash. This is true, but they considered Alonso's actions both «extraordinary» and «potentially dangerous.» I disagree.
Racing is racing. On the last lap Alonso simply tried his best to maintain sixth place, and it is his right and prerogative to drive the way he did. We're not talking about the fact that he was testing Russell's brakes, which was a dirty but common tactic a decade ago.
For me, “extraordinary” would be a driver passing an opponent or knocking someone off the track. If two cars came together you could say it was a dirty move, but they didn't, and that's not true — the rules of engagement require the lead driver to leave the width of the car on both sides when entering the corner, which he did too. However, I wouldn't expect Alonso to finish in the hurdles if the positions were reversed. He would have been more attentive to the situation.
Terrible moment for George Russell on the last lap when he crashed out 😲
Fortunately, the Mercedes driver reported over the team radio that he was fine , and got out of the car 🙏 pic.twitter.com/fGDtzaLRxB
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 24, 2024
In Formula 1 there are many rules regarding driving standards. In addition to leaving the width of the car on the edge of the track when overtaking or defending, you cannot swerve in the braking zone or more than once in a straight line. Alonso simply slowed down ahead of the turn in order to get out of it better.
This is a legal driving tactic, as destructive as it may be for Russell — but that's the point. If you follow a car racing around the same nearby race track, you will feel dirty air at every corner. Especially when you walk “across” the rear of the car, as Russell did. It was here that Russell was caught and, for his part, admitted it.
It's interesting to compare with the last race in Saudi Arabia. There, Kevin Magnussen drove a superb defensive race to hold off the pack chasing his Haas teammate Nico Hulkenberg, who scored a vital point for Haas. He wasn't driving what could be called «normal» as he tried different things to interfere with those behind him.
Yes, Haas's rivals were unhappy and complained, but from the stewards' point of view it was acceptable driving. The Russell-Alonso incident is no different, except that Russell ended up in the barrier after losing control of the car — and it was his fault. This happens in Formula 1, and Alonso noted this after the race.
“We in no way want to do anything wrong at these speeds. In Formula 1, with over 20 years of experience, with epic battles such as Imola 2005/2006/Brazil 2023, changing race tracks, sacrificing entry speed for good corner exits is part of the art of motorsport,” Alonso wrote on X.< /p>
“We never drive 100 percent on every lap of the race and every corner, we save fuel, tires and brakes, so it's a little surprising that we are responsible for ensuring that every lap is not the same.”
Alonso is one of the smartest and most cunning operators on the grid. He's a tactician and we hear that a lot on the radio and see that in racing. I completely agree with his opinion — the FIA's decision here is inconsistent and wrong.
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