Pierre Gasly says that Fernando Alonso did not race fairly against him during the Italian Grand Prix. After the safety car restart on lap 5, the pair were involved in a scuffle which left Gasly running off the circuit at Turns 1 and 4.
Gasly was forced to ride over the kerbs at Turn 1 and sustained damage the right side of his Toro Rosso's floor. The Frenchman went on to finish in P15, while Alonso retired with an engine issue shortly after the incident with Gasly.
Speaking after the race, the 22-year-old said: “Basically we came up after the safety car into Turn 1 side by side and I went on the outside and he pushed me completely out of the track.
“I tried to stay on track as much as I could but he just didn’t leave me the space so I had to jump over the kerb and then he also touched me and completely damaged all the right side of my floor. From there on, I think it was lap eight or something my car was completely broken and I was sliding everywhere."
Alonso was also involved in an incident with Kevin Magnussen on Saturday during qualifying, as the two ran side-by-side into Turn 1 while setting qualifying laps. The Spaniard announced during the summer break that he would be leaving F1 at the end of the season.
Gasly believes that since Alonso confirmed his future, he has been driving more aggressively: “I think for sure his outlook is a bit different because he knows he’s not going to be in Formula 1anymore next year so it looks like he is even more aggressive than he used to be.
“For me what he did was unfair and we know that if you are alongside you need to give the space of one car and today he didn’t. I know he doesn’t like us because we have the Honda engine but nevertheless. I think it’s not something to talk together but I’m not the kind of guy to make a big story out of things. If I have something to say I’ll tell him face-to-face.”
Fergal Walsh
Replies (6)
Login to replymichielhimself
Posts: 132
Unfairnando Alonso. Then again, his next year team-mate did more or less the same to Bottas. The real unfairness was that Verstappen got penalised (justified) and Unfairnando did not.
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
Finally watched the video to see what happened between them. It was quite simple. Gasly got schooled. The attempt on the first corner was a bit late and sloppy, I don't know why he thought Alonso (or anyone) would let him overtake on the outside. The second attempt was an embarrassment, Gasly didn't even try to make the corner.
NEXT SPARE VAMP
Posts: 1,874
So glad Frustrato Alonso will be gone in 2019.
jj284b
Posts: 22
BS. It was a fair fight.. and if Gasly cant bare with it, what will he do next year, when he will race with Max? Today's kids in F1... completely forgot whats racing about... they are either suicidal or behaving like babies.. (exception - Leclerc)
StijnVM
Posts: 1
Sounds like Helmut Marko is in for a treat... There was, fairly, little room for both going in as coming out of that chicane (see also Vettel/Hamilton on lap 1). But compared to the crowding of Bottas by Max, it is fair to say that the penalties were given to the right people... It will probably not have helped him that he completely overshot his braking point in the next chicane ending all his claims. And Alonso retired, so I wonder what this lamenting was all about? After whining in the press first, he could have skipped the sentence “If I have something to say I’ll tell him face-to-face” ... way to go Gasly... ???
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
Gasly has potential, but his character seems pretty weak and soft. Verstappen is going to eat him alive on race day. Alonso is tough but fair. Verstappen is not only fast and ruthless, but reckless at times. After watching the video of Gasly vs. Alonso is was easy to conclude that Gasly simply got schooled. He should pay fees to Alonso for the education.