A clash of extremes! Fernando Alonso, soon to compete in his 400th Grand Prix, had a run-in with Liam Lawson, who is participating for the sixth time this weekend, in Austin. During the sprint race, the Spanish veteran was not pleased with Lawson’s ‘idiotic’ driving behavior. “He still has something to prove, I think,” Alonso taunted afterwards, knowing that the New Zealander is vying for a contract with Red Bull.
Fighting for the sixteenth place, Liam Lawson did not let his rival Fernando Alonso pass easily. A fierce battle ensued on the Circuit of the Americas, where the seasoned Spanish driver called his young challenger an ‘idiot’. After the sprint race, he retaliated against Lawson by blocking him during the qualification as they exited the pit lane. Alonso, according to his own statement, does not want to be the victim of Lawson’s eagerness to prove himself.
“Lawson caused a bit too much action,” Alonso responded afterwards to ESPN. “After all, he only has six races to prove himself. Unfortunately, this is not the best way. It’s his career that’s at stake, not mine.” The two-time world champion compared the incident to a previous clash with his current teammate, Lance Stroll.
‘Part of the Game’
“We almost crashed on the straight – it was a bit like that incident with Lance (Stroll) two years ago,” Alonso recalled. “How he kept slamming the door shut – I don’t want to waste too many words on it. Of course, he (Lawson) won’t be penalized, after all, we’re racing for the sixteenth and seventeenth place.”
Alonso denied that he deliberately ‘screwed’ Lawson during the qualification, as the young New Zealander claimed. “That was all okay,” he stated. “I think what he showed was unnecessary, but not everyone will agree with that. That’s okay too, it’s a long season, so these kinds of moments are inevitable.”
