Alonso calls back-of-grid driver level “very low” after Austin contact

Fernando Alonso called the level of drivers at the back of the grid “very low” after a collision with Alex Albon on the opening lap in Austin. The Spanish driver also criticised Williams and said damage to his AMR26 had compromised his race. He spent the event trying to recover despite a heavily damaged car.

Alonso raised the possibility that Albon had hit him at Turn 11. He believes the floor suffered the worst damage: “I think we lost half a second or more.” He said a substantial section was missing and was surprised the car had remained competitive enough to stay on track. He was running 12th at the time and believes an undamaged car would have given him a real chance of scoring. He even mentioned a finish in ninth or 10th, while stressing that it is impossible to know what a complete car might have achieved.

The car’s behaviour led him to consider retiring. Alonso said it could no longer turn properly to the left; after the front wing was replaced, however, he returned to the track. He said the car still turned to the right, but not to the left over the final 15 laps. Even so, he wanted to finish and gather more information. His 16th-place result was therefore affected by the damage sustained at the start.

His criticism of drivers at the back was tied to a more specific complaint about Albon. “When you start from the back, there is always that risk,” Alonso said, before directly questioning the level of drivers in that part of the grid and naming Alex. He also acknowledged that his own team needed to improve: “We need to make the car better and start a little further up.”

His remarks came as Williams and Aston contest the constructors’ championship, with a five-point gap in relation to the Grove team. Alonso believes his team could have scored and perhaps closed the gap in the standings, but that the incident took the opportunity away: “They made sure we had no chance.” He also noted that relative performance varies with the power unit and the circuit. His two complaints were clear: the contact compromised a chance of a result, while Williams must, in his view, improve its car and starting position.