Sainz takes aim at Alonso after FIA penalty decision

Carlos Sainz said that Fernando Alonso “complained” over the radio to get him a penalty “like always” at the Spanish Grand Prix.

The FIA stewards hit Sainz with a five-second penalty after his collision with Alonso’s Aston Martin. It was a clash which sparked an Alonso message of frustration over team radio.

Carlos Sainz accuses Fernando Alonso of instigating Spanish GP penalty

Sainz and Alonso, the two home heroes, made contact heading into Turn 5 at the Madring, which was hosting its first Spanish Grand Prix.

Alonso had the wall on his right as the Williams and Aston Martin cars made contact. Alonso was left with damage to the front wing.

“Yeah, he squeezed me into the wall,” Alonso vented over Aston Martin team radio.

“The start, he crashed into two people. Now, squeezed me to the wall on braking.”

Alonso’s comment was in reference to a collision at the start between Sainz and Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda into Turn 1.

The stewards took no further action on that incident, but Sainz was not so lucky when it came to his Alonso clash. For that, the FIA stewards issued a five-second penalty.

A statement from the stewards read: “The stewards reviewed video, telemetry and in-car video evidence.

“Car 14 [Alonso] was closing in on Car 55 [Sainz] on the approach to Turn 5 and was in the process of pulling alongside when Car 55 moved towards the right edge of the track after the deceleration phase had commenced, causing both cars to slightly make contact.

“The stewards determine that Car 55 moved under braking and should have left more space for Car 14 on the outside.

“The baseline penalty for moving under braking is a black/white flag. However, the stewards take into account the fact that both cars made contact and therefore impose a time penalty accordingly.”

Sainz hit out at Alonso regarding that penalty.

“It’s the nature of that corner when you turn right. I think he complained on the radio, so he managed to get me a penalty, like always,” Sainz said of Alonso, when speaking with PlanetF1.com and other media outlets.

“I think the nature of that corner is always going to lead to these kind of crashes, because there’s only space for one. There’s not even space for two, and you cannot keep looking in your mirror while you’re doing a right-left, because you need to look forward. So at one point you need to focus on your own driving line.

“I don’t think Fernando was alongside me or anything.”

Alonso argued that Sainz created an unnecessary collision.

“He had a penalty, no? So if they consider that enough, it’s good for me,” he said.

“We didn’t finish, any of the two in the points, but yeah, I think that was unnecessary. It was plenty of room on the left. I was just on the wall on the right, 340 kph. I think it was not needed.”

More Spanish Grand Prix reaction via PlanetF1.com

Lewis Hamilton challenges Verstappen comment after Spanish GP clash

Norris reveals VSC driver scrutiny after Spanish GP heartbreak

Sainz served his time penalty before retiring from the race, citing damage picked up during his first-lap incident with Tsunoda.

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

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