Alonso: "It just shows how bad Formula One is"

Fernando Alonso says that the penalties both he and Lance Stroll received during the Japanese Grand Prix are an example of "how bad Formula One is". The Spaniard was penalised for cutting the track and rejoining after Stroll forced the McLaren man wide at the final chicane.

Speaking to media after the race, Alonso was critical of the race stewards who awarded both drivers a penalty for the incident.

“It just shows how bad Formula One is. You are braking on the outside of the last corner, one guy doesn’t see you, he comes to apologise, you go in the gravel and you get a penalty. So, it’s a shame.”

“He didn’t see me. If he saw me and said ‘I’m going to put you in the grass’ it’s another thing but the stewards are an unfortunate situation in a race situation.

“It doesn’t change much because instead of 14th maybe you finish 12th but you know, it’s the way it is.”

Stroll also described the moment between the two as a racing incident and explained why he apologised to Alonso.

“Just racing. Around 130R, coming back, first lap stuff – made a bit of contact and that was that. He went straight, I defended – typical stuff on the first lap.

“I just wanted to say no hard feelings about the first lap – things got heated and we both got penalties.

“Obviously I got a five-second penalty and there was a lot of wear on the tyres, we thought the mediums would go a lot longer. As I say, just a bad race.”