The Alpin driver crossed the buffer belt at the start of the Russian Grand Prix and then drove back to the track. Asked about the matter ahead of Turkey's next match, Alonso took the opportunity to question whether the event officers had a problem with consistency in dealing with such issues. Also in Sochi, when the event officer decided not to be penalized for Lando Norris crossing the white line at the pit entrance. Alonso questioned why past events treated this differently.
He described such incidents as "different rules for different people, or, for different people, different conversations for the next game".
This isn't the first time Alonso has questioned the consistency of management decisions. This coincides with his growing suspicion that different riders can escape punishment.
F1 in two races at the Red Bull Ring, Alonso accused opponents of using buffer zones at Turn 1.
Alonso said after Austria's first race: "The FIA should regulate track restrictions more. In Turn 1, I was a normal cornerer, and the two cars I overtook missed Turn 1 and gained an advantage. ”
After subsequently playing on the same track, he described the same situation, this time referring to Ricciardo and Leclerc.
Is Alonso right?
In the first Red Bull Ring race, he apparently reached Turn 1 before Gasley and Leclerc, then rushed out of the track into the buffer zone and re-entered the track before Alonso.
The second case is less clear-cut. Alonso was again on the inside of Turn One, ricciardo and Leclerc drove off the track again at the outset and kept their lead ahead of him.
In the wake of these events, Alonso was determined to take a tougher line in the future. Tellingly, he claimed that his competitors had chosen to use the buffer zone on the first lap to gain an advantage instead of being forced off the track and benefiting.
Alonso said: "It was clear that on the first lap the race officer was a little more flexible on penalties and track restrictions, which is understandable.
But this is not the case. If the driver still keeps the throttle when rushing out of the track, it only means that the driver did it intentionally. So I don't think that's a gray area, obviously. ”
When Asked about the events that happened 3 months ago, Ricciardo said he didn't remember. But at a news conference at the time, Alonso claimed "different rules for different people" and said he could understand Alonso's frustration.
Alonso was convinced that some riders had deliberately crossed the buffer zone in the first place and escaped punishment, and he did so in Sochi, even by demonstrating exercises on designated routes to maximize his speed out of corners.
After rejoining the track in third place and allowing two cars to overtake him, Alonso then ran farther on the first lap, losing more places. Without this, it is an interesting unknown whether the event officer would have a different view of his second act.
Through various controversies, Alonso made it clear that he wanted a stricter interpretation of the rules. He was embroiled in another incident in the second round in Austria, where his final sprint in Q2 was blocked by Sebastian Vettel. Alonso made it clear that not only should Vettel be blamed, but also the riders who lined up ahead of him to start flying in circles.
"I believe the FIA must also learn and better regulate that there are 10 cars lined up at 5 km/h waiting for their own flying lap, which is dangerous and unfair to drivers who are doing the flying lap," Alonso said. There are still drivers who dare to do this, which is the consequence of too weak punishment. ”
As Alonso points out, he's not the only one calling for tournament officers to take a tougher line on the incident. Alfa Romeo team principal Vassell said the same thing, which was a surprise for many.
Alonso said: "I don't think the consistency this year has been very good, always in the same direction.
Did the inconsistent decisions of the tournament officers tend to violate the rules, as Alonso suggested? Given the outcome of the deliberations that were underway when he said those words in Istanbul on Saturday, several of his rivals may have different views.
Alonso proved unable to slow down enough in qualifying, encountering double yellow flags. Stroul was about 15 seconds behind Alonso in the same incident, and the event officer was indifferent to it, as was Gasley, who criticized the event officer for not punishing Norris.
Gasley said: "Alonso and Stroor did not behave the same way, and I started to be a little vague about these regulations. For me, the rules should be black and white. ”
By taking into account the penalty, the event officer inevitably increases the likelihood of different treatments. But Alonso's experience shows that there is no partiality behind this inconsistency.