The F1 pack has been quizzed extensively in regards to the incident late within the race final day trip in Melbourne as this weekend’s Suzuka race will get underway, with a notable cut up in opinions amongst the racing cohort.
Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg “wasn’t very impressed with Fernando’s ways”, whereas Sauber racers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu each referred to as the choice to penalise the Spaniard “harsh”.
Russell aired his views within the pre-event press convention in Japan, the place he made the case that if the FIA stewards had not penalised Alonso, such ways might need began showing in several F1 racing eventualities and presumably even developed into harmful conditions in junior single-seater competitors.
“I believe it was clearly an odd scenario that occurred final week,” mentioned Russell. “As I mentioned on the time, [I was] completely caught without warning.
“I used to be truly wanting on the steering wheel making a change change on the straight, which all of us do throughout the lap, and after I seemed up I used to be in Fernando’s gearbox and it was too late after which subsequent factor I do know I used to be within the wall.
“So, I believe if it have been to not have been penalised, it will’ve actually opened up a can of worms for the remainder of the season and in junior classes.
“Of claiming, ‘Are you allowed to brake in a straight, are you allowed to decelerate, change gear, speed up, do one thing semi-erratic?’
“I do not take something personally with what occurred with Fernando and it most likely had greater penalties than it ought to have.
“But when it went unpenalised, are you able to simply brake in the midst of the straight? I do not know.”
George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Workforce
Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Pictures
When requested by Motorsport.com for his ideas on the ethics of ways comparable to Alonso deployed, which have lengthy been thought of a respectable a part of racing in lots of quarters, Russell replied: “What you say is completely right – each driver is open to alter their line, brake earlier, energy by way of the nook, do no matter.
“[But] after we begin braking in the midst of the straight, downshifting, accelerating, upshifting once more, then braking once more for a nook, I believe that goes past the realms of adjusting your line.
“And, as I mentioned, I used to be truly taking a look at my steering wheel in that straight – as I’ve executed each single lap prior.
“And after I seemed up 100m earlier than the nook, I realised I used to be proper behind Fernando, moderately than the half a second that I used to be.
“We have so many duties to deal with after we’re driving – going across the race monitor, altering all of the settings on the steering wheel, ensuring you are in the correct engine mode, taking good care of the tyres, speaking to your engineer, managing the deltas in your steering wheel when it is an in-lap, out-lap, security automobile – no matter it could be.
“And should you add into the combo that you simply’re allowed to brake in the midst of the straight to realize or get a tactical benefit, I believe that’s possibly one step too far.
“And the identical after we discuss transferring down the straight to get out of the slipstream.
“There was loads of discuss that previously. It isn’t overly harmful, nevertheless it has a concertina impact. If all people is transferring round and if all of the sudden you brake take a look at and there is 10 automobiles behind, it most likely has an incredible impact by the tenth driver than it does for the primary driver behind.
“So, as I mentioned, I do not suppose what Fernando did was terribly harmful, however it can open a can of worms if it wasn’t penalised.”
The fallout from the incident is about to be mentioned between officers and the drivers on the Suzuka driver’s assembly post-practice on Friday.
The situation of Russell’s crash at Albert Park may even be a key level of order in that assembly.
