“I don’t consider Formula One like a sport anymore.”
2006 Season

“I don’t consider Formula One like a sport anymore.”

Oliver White
10th September, 2006
3 comments
1 min read

The words of Fernando Alonso this morning as he publicly protests his grid penalty following an alleged blocking attempt on Felipe Massa from Ferrari yesterday during qualifying.

Fernando Alonso is clearly upset about the situation, and the penalty makes his job of beating Michael Schumacher very difficult today. At a press conference, Fernando spoke from his heart when he said the following:

I am a sportsman. I love sport, I love the fans. I don’t consider Formula One like a sport anymore.

Is this blocking anyone? If this is blocking I don’t understand how we can race today.

Pat Symonds – Renault Technical Director – believes the damaged Renault of Alonso actually helped Massa by giving him a tow down the straight, saying “Massa got a good tow. His speed was the fastest of the qualifying session. He got some advantage from it. I don’t understand the penalty, because we don’t feel we impeded him.”

Here’s the video.

Is Fernando correct, or is it a case of sour grapes? Have your say…

F1, Formula One, Italian Grand Prix, Monza, Qualifying, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, FIA

3 comments

  • i like flav’s comment:

    “There won’t be a fight to the finish [this season]. The championship has already been assigned.”

    i said that weeks ago!!

    i think the hulk’s gonna win it anyhow – oh no, my mistake i get the two ‘sports’ mixed up these days.

  • […] After the debacle of Fernando Alonso’s punishment for blocking Felipe Massa in qualifying for yesterdays Italian Grand Prix, Italian team principal Flavio Briatore reacted angrily making some bold statements to the press. In an attempt to make his and Renault’s concerns very clear Flavio indicated at a conspiracy theory against Renault and in favour of Michael Schumacher and Ferrari. On Sunday morning, Fernando Alonso echoed Renault’s concern in a brief statement claiming that he feels Formula One is not considered to be a sport by himself anymore. Fernando Alonso has blamed his rare engine failure during the race yesterday squarely on the shoulders of the Race Stewards, claiming that had he not been penalised in qualifying, he wouldn’t have had to press the engine so hard during the race. […]

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