Williams boss disputes Fernando Alonso’s claim over quality of F1 grid
Fernando Alonso and Alex Albon collided in Austin
Williams boss James Vowles has repudiated Fernando Alonso’s claim that the quality among the drivers in the lower reaches of the Formula 1 grid is at a “very low” level.
Alonso’s chances of scoring points at the United States Grand Prix vanished when contact with Alex Albon on the opening lap damaged his Aston Martin.
Williams boss protects Albon against Alonso criticism
That prompted an aggrieved Alonso, who would bring his wounded AMR26 home in a lapped 16th, to criticise the driving standards in F1 as Albon’s move went unpunished.
The two-time World Champion doubled down on his stance in the build-up to this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix, but it was not a sentiment shared among his rivals.
The Spaniard said: “I don’t know if it’s the one third, because then I saw some reports trying to pick up eight drivers or seven drivers.
“I’m not specific on the number of them. But I think we all know which ones we talk about and which ones felt hit by that comment. So that tells you everything.
“So I still feel the same.”
Indeed, Albon also stood his ground when told that Alonso’s outlook had remained unchanged, the Williams racer arguing that the calibre at the rear of the grid has improved exponentially since the lower-end teams have been able to capitalise on the sport’s increase in popularity to overlook the sponsorship revenue that a driver brings.
“I’ll double down with what I said as well,” Albon said. “I have a huge respect for Fernando. I looked up to him a lot growing up as a kid, and obviously it’s not nice to hear those comments in many ways. You’re racing someone that you look up to.
“But at the same time, I don’t agree. It’s as simple as that. I think the level is strong up and down the grid.
“I think 10-15 years ago, the back half of the grid wasn’t the way it is now. We don’t have pay drivers anymore. So yeah, it is what it is.
“Hopefully we don’t cross corners or paths in the race this weekend!”
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As expected, Vowles was the latest individual to take Albon’s side in the dispute when Alonso’s comments were put to him on Friday at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
“First of all, Fernando is one of the greats and he’s entitled to his opinion, but I disagree with it,” he commented.
“There was a racing incident. The stewards looked at it. It’s Lap 1. Both were going for the same piece of tarmac. There was actually, I think, one of the Haas cars also, not that it was their fault, but just the gaps were all closing. Simple as that.
“The grid today is filled with race winners and podium contenders, and that includes Fernando himself at that point. I don’t think his comments really stand in that regard.”
Vowles, an ever-present in the paddock since 2001, which included a spell as lead strategist at Mercedes during the German marque’s unblemished title run between 2014 and 2020, believes the standard on the grid has never been higher than it is right now.
Asked whether this was the highest-quality roster he has witnessed in his career to date, the Briton, 47, responded: “Yes, I would say so.
“I was just trying to think back if there’s another year. Probably I’ll be picked up by some statistician out there, but in my opinion, yes, I think what you’re really seeing out there is that we all know there’s a pretty close fight between all of us at the back, with only a few milliseconds separating us. Your position on Lap 1 can tend to dominate that, which just means there’s a lot more scrapping than there was before.”
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