Fernando Alonso FURIOUS over Jolyon Palmer Italian Grand Prix overtake
FERNANDO ALONSO branded Jolyon Palmer’s five-second penalty for an illegal overtake “a joke” during the Italian Grand Prix and continued his tirade after the race had finished.
Alonso had been battling Palmer for 12th place when the Renault driver had been unable to make the second chicane and had to run straight across it.
The Brit failed to give the position back to the McLaren driver and was handed a five-second penalty by the stewards, but Alonso made it clear over team radio that he felt the punishment should have been much more serious.
And he joked afterwards that the FIA must have been enjoying a beer courtesy of one of their biggest sponsors instead of watching the race.
"When we arrived at the chicane we were side-by-side, we braked late and I managed to take the chicane, but he didn't and he jumped it and stayed in front," said Alonso.
"Usually that's something that's very clear in the rules: when two cars are side-by-side at the chicane and one gets to take it and one doesn't, you give back the position, but this time the FIA must have been having a Heineken."
Alonso has had to endure two-and-a-half years of frustration since re-joining McLaren - more than four years have now passed since his last Grand Prix win.
But he still singled out Palmer as the cause of his anger, claiming the 26-year-old had cost him as much as 10 seconds.
“The problems we had with the gearbox were because of the heat and having Jolyon in front another three or four laps,” Alonso added.
“If grabbing the football with your hands is a penalty, it should always be a penalty.
“It's not my interpretation and seeing what the stewards think this time.
“But anyway, being fighting for 16th and 17th it doesn't matter.
“But I think the spectators want to see something normal, not a party."