Fernando Alonso appears to have changed his tone towards the FIA. After complaining about favoritism towards Lewis Hamilton at the Formula 1 Miami GP, the Spaniard praised President Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s stance.
Alonso had expressed outrage at the lack of punishment for Hamilton after a crash in the Sprint race in Miami. At the time, the Aston Martin driver even stated that the decision was due to his nationality.
“I will speak with Mohammed (Ben Sulayem), with the FIA, to protect the future generation of Spanish drivers,” Alonso told DAZN after the Sprint.
However, after the Miami GP, the Spaniard seemed more conciliatory when talking to the press. Alonso achieved a good ninth place in the main race, starting from 15th position, and highlighted the positive dialogue with the FIA president.
“Yes, I spoke to Ben Sulayem yesterday,” said Alonso. “He is always open to listening to drivers’ opinions. He knows that we are the ones driving the cars and that we can suggest improvements. There are some points we need to address as a sport. He always listens to us, so that together we can make F1 better and more consistent.”
Alonso had already clashed with race management on a few occasions this season. One of the cases was at the Australian GP, when George Russell collided with the wall after a movement by the Spaniard, who slowed down beforehand on a curve. Despite there being no direct contact, the stewards considered Alonso’s maneuver ‘potentially dangerous’ and gave him a twenty second race penalty and three super license points.
Another incident occurred in the Chinese Sprint race, when Alonso received a ten-second penalty and three points for colliding with Carlos Sainz in an overtaking attempt. Aston Martin appealed the punishment, but the request was rejected.
It is worth remembering that Ben Sulayem was investigated for allegedly lobbying for the reversal of a punishment against Alonso at the Saudi Arabian GP in 2023. However, the FIA president was cleared of the accusations.
The fact is that with any possible future dissatisfaction with race management decisions, Alonso will not hesitate to contact the FIA to express his opinion as a driver.
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