Fernando Alonso didn’t hold back his frustration about the FIA’s decision to bring out an instant red flag during Yuki Tsunoda’s crash in the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The crash occurred at the exit of Turn 5 during the last moments of Q3, with just over two minutes left. Tsunoda’s crash triggered the medical light, which led to the dispatch of the medical car and the immediate red flag. The session was halted in just over 10 seconds, leaving no driver able to complete their laps. This decision irked Alonso, who was on a faster lap that could have improved his position on the grid.
Alonso explained his frustration to Spanish TV station DAZN, highlighting what he claimed was an unspoken agreement among teams and the FIA. According to him, the usual protocol when cars run off track early in a lap is to wave double yellows rather than a red flag. This allows drivers past the incident to finish their laps. Alonso said, “In Q3… The FIA sometimes gets it right and sometimes makes gross errors. Today they made one, because they red-flagged when I was in the last corner, which is surprising. When there is an accident at Turn 8 [he meant Turn 5] they normally wait for the cars to complete their laps, or that’s the spoken rule.”
Sources indicate that while double yellows are typically preferred for off-track incidents, the severity of Tsunoda’s crash and the need for the medical car made the red flag more appropriate. This didn’t sit well with Alonso, who believed it unfairly penalized him and other drivers who were already past the incident.
The situation worsened when Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll were directed into parc ferme after aborting their laps. Believing the session wouldn’t restart, both drivers stopped their cars at the start of the pit lane. However, race control then decided that the damaged car could be cleared, and there was enough time for another flying lap. Consequently, Alonso and Stroll were told to move back to their garages. Alonso removed his steering wheel and unbuckled his belts, only to be told to get moving again. He shared, “We got out of the car, then they told us that Q3 was going to restart. We got back in the car, they buckled us in, and because I had no more tires, I didn’t go out again.”
Despite the double whammy of the red flag and parc ferme mix-up, Alonso conceded that the events likely didn’t impact his grid position. “I had been improving by a tenth and a half until that last corner when the red flag came out and it probably doesn’t change anything,” he said. “But this going into the parc ferme, then opening it again and that doesn’t normally happen.”
The Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying session was marred by confusion and frustration for Alonso, primarily due to the FIA’s quick decision to bring out a red flag. While the Spaniard remains doubtful about the fairness of these actions, he continues to focus on future races.
Source: Motorsport
