Formula 1 News

Alonso upset by Vettel driving

The Ferrari man climbed up from 10th on the grid to finish with a excellent 3rd in the Italian GP that helps him to keep the distance on the standings table.
Sunday, September 9, 2012

MONZA, Italy, Sept 9, 2012 (AFP) - Fernando Alonso said little, but made clear he was upset by Sebastian Vettel's dangerous move that forced him off the track during Sunday's Italian Grand Prix.

The Ferrari driver, who finished third behind Briton Lewis Hamilton of McLaren and Mexican Sergio Perez of Sauber, was asked about the defending champion's driving during a post-race news briefing and, at first, refused to answer.

His enigmatic smile was enough, then, however to confirm an impression that he agreed entirely with the stewards' decision to give the Red Bull man a drive-through penalty.

Asked again about the incident, however, and pressed to explain if it had cost him a chance to do better in the race, he said: "I lost 10 laps behind him, after the incident, and for sure the car was damaged because at 330 kph you are jumping on the gravel -- so I don't think the floor and everything was fine after those jumps."

He added: "I think that the people who are in charge of making the decisions took a careful view of everything. It is up to them to do their job."

Vettel's wild driving came on a bad day for Red Bull as both drivers were forced to retire and the team finished pointless.

But for victorious Hamilton, Perez and Alonso, there was poetic justice in taking the podium places just a week after another erratic driver Romain Grosjean of Lotus had triggered an opening lap multiple collision at the Belgian Grand Prix.

That crash eliminated all three of the podium finishers in Monza before they could make any impact at Spa-Francorchamps.

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May 26
Monaco

F1 Standings

Drivers
Teams
1 Sebastian Vettel 89
2 Kimi Räikkönen 85
3 Fernando Alonso 72
4 Lewis Hamilton 50
5 Felipe Massa 45
6 Mark Webber 42
1 Red Bull Racing 131
2 Ferrari 117
3 Lotus F1 Team 111
4 Mercedes 72
5 Sahara Force India 32
6 McLaren 29

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Last F1 Race

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Barcelona, Circuit de Catalunya
1
Fernando Alonso
Ferrari
2
Kimi Räikkönen
Lotus F1 Team
3
Felipe Massa
Ferrari
Fastest Lap

Esteban Gutiérrez
1'26.217s

Pole Position

Nico Rosberg

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