Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso has weighed in on the Belgium Grand Prix penalty that cost Lewis Hamilton a sure victory after a brilliant drive. Many will consider Fernando’s comments as just being anti-McLaren after 2007’s tumultuous year when the champion spent most of the time embroiled in inner-team struggles that saw him leave the team in disgust.
While I can appreciate that most will feel the comments are biased, I would point out that they mirror Felipe Massa’s and Jarno Trulli’s comments precisely (as well as mine). I think Fernando is correct and some sort of penalty was ultimately due Lewis. That, in my opinion, could have been a grid position penalty for Monza and it would have been fine but they chose the 25-second penalty.
“Yes, I totally agree,” he said of the stewards’ decision. “Lewis had an advantage by doing that. If he did the chicane properly, he would never have crossed the line one metre behind Kimi. You lose five or ten metres and then you cannot overtake in Turn 1.
“We always said we would give back the position, but at the same time as giving back the position you cannot take advantage of what you did one corner before. If you give back the position, take the slipstream and overtake the guy into the next corner you still have an advantage because of what you did.
“These escape roads are just for safety. You need to imagine that before there would have been a wall, and if there is a wall you cannot use that part of the track.”
“There were two or three laps to the end, many more corners to overtake at with the condition of the circuit. It was clear for me that it was not the right moment to overtake. The stewards take their decisions and they have been very strict this year. They are very hard but consistent.”
