Fernando Alonso says F1 has 'different rules for different people' when it comes to on-track behaviour

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Fernando AlonsoImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Fernando Alonso finished in sixth place for Alpine at the Russian Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso says Formula 1 drivers are treated differently when it comes to on-track behaviour.

His comments come after being asked about deliberately using the run-off area at the first corner at the last race in Russia.

"It's a confirmation of many things," the two-time world champion said.

"One, that there are different rules for different people - or different talks the week after for different people."

Alonso said he had "been the idiot on track for most of the championship" as others gained advantage by breaking rules.

The Alpine driver practised going through the run-off area at the first corner in Sochi on the reconnaissance laps before the race.

He then deliberately went through it on the first lap, avoiding the bottle-neck effect at the tricky right-left combination.

Alonso did not gain any places with the move - he rejoined behind the driver he was behind on the way into the corner, which meant he complied with the rules.

But committing early to the run-off meant he could gain places before the corner because he could brake later than other drivers.

Alonso said he had planned the move in Sochi "just to see the questions here in Istanbul - just to confirm [that] when I do things, they have a different behaviour and different repercussions on the following event.

"So now maybe they change the run-off area in lap one in the first couple of corners."

He then seemed to reference an incident in which McLaren's Lando Norris was not penalised for breaking the rule that forbids crossing the white line at pit entry during the chaotic wet final laps of the race in Russia, as the win slipped through the Briton's fingers.

"Let's see the next one that crosses the white line on the pit entry, let's see which nationality he is, and which penalty he will get," Alonso said.

The 40-year-old has made a number of comments this season about rivals getting away with breaking guidelines and not being punished.

He was most angered by incidents at the two races in Austria this year.

The first was when he was re-passed at the first corner by two drivers he had overtaken on the way into it after they went off the track on the exit and rejoined in front of him.

And the second was when he was impeded in qualifying by rivals slowing in the final two corners, which the race director had explicitly said was not allowed.

He referred to this again on Thursday: "I've been overtaken from outside of the asphalt by many people in the first couple of races and even in Austria, and nothing happened, there were no questions. And now after Sochi there is a question, so it is a confirmation."

At the British Grand Prix in July, Alonso said he had tried to speak to race director Michael Masi about the issue but had not made any progress.

"We try to speak with the race director and say or blame all the things people were doing with not many answers, and that was strange," Alonso said.

"I don't want to be blaming or crying every race for something the others do.

"The strategy in the first races didn't bring us any solutions so we understand the solution is to do what the others are doing.

"We try to be fair and say to the referee: 'Look, they are playing with their hands in the penalty area.' But if the referee is doing nothing, we understand we can also play with the hands in the penalty area. So we do that."

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