Fernando Alonso was critical of the drivers around him after finding himself eliminated from the United States Grand Prix after just a few hundred meters.
The McLaren F1 Team driver was surprised by his rivals battling through the high-speed esses at the beginning of the lap at the Circuit of the Americas, and ultimately it was the Spaniard who came off worst after being hit hard by Williams Martini Racing’s Lance Stroll, who earned himself a penalty for the offence.
The contact caused considerable damage to the side of Alonso’s MCL33, meaning an early end to his final United States Grand Prix before he departs Formula 1 at the end of the season, but it was with disappointment that he prepared so much for the race only for it to come to an end almost immediately.
“My race today lasted only a few hundred metres,” said Alonso. “There was a lot of action in Turn Four, which was a surprise, because it’s not normal to overtake into that high-speed section.
“Three cars were trying to overtake each other and a couple of guys around me were very optimistic, misjudging their position and manoeuvres a bit, and the result was that some cars ended up in the wall and one of those was mine.
“It’s always the same story, it just keeps happening. At the start, people are trying to bump everyone else, the same as when you have a rental car! No one does it on purpose, but today they played bowling with my car again, like they did in Spa.
“It’s a shame. We came out here early to prepare for this race and it only lasted a couple of corners.”
