Fernando Alonso questioned how Nico Hulkenberg caused the crash which eliminated three drivers at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix.
The McLaren driver, who was taken out in the crash along with Hulkenberg and Charles Leclerc, compared it to the first-lap crash he was involved in at the track in 2012.“Again a very big-time missing braking point,” Alonso told the BBC. “That time I think Romain [Grosjean] had a race ban. This time we’ll see.
“But it’s tough to understand how you can miss so much. It’s not a couple of metres you arrive at a speed which is impossible to negotiate the corner so said for that but happy we are all fine.”
Alonso said the crash showed the value of Formula 1’s Halo, which the cars are running for the first time this year.
“Luckily the positive side is that we all three OK. Especially Charles, I flew over his car, the Halo was a very good thing to have today.
“I think for him it helped, looking at the replay,” Alonso added. “And yeah for me in that case in 2012 I was definitely happier if I had the Halo. We don’t need to prove it’s a good thing to has.”
Alonso said he has “zero pain” at the moment. “Let’s wait a couple of hours just to see if I have any problem,” he added.
Alonso and Hulkenberg have been summoned to the stewards over the collision.
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Hugh (@hugh11)
26th August 2018, 15:03
Looked a lot like a brake failure to me (and also to DC and Karun on C4)
HUHHII (@huhhii)
26th August 2018, 16:19
@hugh11 Brakes locked-up so they certainly didn’t fail. Amateurish mistake from Hülkenberg, that’s all what there is to it.
Jordi Casademunt (@casjo)
26th August 2018, 16:43
Hülkenberg himself said in an interview that there wasn’t a failure. He braked later than he should have, and the mistake was amplified by the dirty air.
A very stupid mistake which I expect will get a grid penalty.
PMccarthy_is_a_legend (@pmccarthy_is_a_legend)
26th August 2018, 19:35
@hugh11
Lol definitely not a a brake failure, they locked up!
Just a (massive) mistake. He is lucky he only got a ten place grid penalty.
Markp
26th August 2018, 15:26
Did he mention Red Bull offered him a seat 5 times at the end of discussing the race incident?
RP (@slotopen)
26th August 2018, 15:38
So glad LeClerc had the halo. Scary to think what would have happened without it.
Jere (@jerejj)
26th August 2018, 15:41
I entirely agree with him.
Joao (@johnmilk)
26th August 2018, 15:42
Didn’t he asked for a surprise factor?
Phylyp (@phylyp)
26th August 2018, 15:45
Hell yeah, the halo’s introduction was totally worth it.
Or should I say “Halo yeah”?
falken (@falken)
26th August 2018, 16:04
Pfft. “if it saves one life its worth it” is a terrible argument.
So would drive by wire, automatic brakes.
and who wants to watch a race with no danger.
Fikri Harish (@)
26th August 2018, 16:23
Screw you.
The Canadian dude who was literally crying on the stands at Pocono thinking he just watched one of his favorite Canadian drivers die would very much like you to shut up, please.
I’ll allow that racing will always be dangerous and that mistakes and accidents will always happen but if those in charge of the sport can find a way to make those accidents not life-ending or career-ending while still maintaining the same level of racing, then they should always do so.
If a marginally uglier car is the price to pay, I’d happily take that over continually waiting for another update on Wickens.
falken (@falken)
26th August 2018, 16:28
I saw Senna hit in the head and killed by a loose wheel you insensitive clod.
Not talking about how fugly Halo looks, but the seemingly inevitable slide towards uncrashable robocars. FIA has already demonstrated it’ll do anything to avoid a injury law suit, so how are things going to go on in future?
anon
26th August 2018, 17:34
@falken, even though you say that you only began watching the sport three years after Senna’s death (given you claim to have not begun watching F1 until 1997)?
It reminds me of the response that Jack Brabham once gave when he heard somebody rather like yourself bemoaning how the sport was “too safe”, where he just went up to the person and told him with quiet anger that because of people like him “I had to go to too many god damn funerals”.
Duncan Snowden
26th August 2018, 16:52
I’m not convinced the halo proved itself at all today. Yes, Leclerc’s was scuffed at the front, so Alonso’s car clearly hit it, but from what I’ve seen there’s no indication that any of the flying debris – i.e. Alonso’s entire car – was small enough to penetrate the line between the roll hoop and the front of the cockpit, which is the primary protection in this kind of accident, just as it is when the car is upside-down. That’s absolutely not to say it couldn’t provide extra protection in a similar incident, such as when the wheels are hanging on by the tethers, or if the flying car is upside down and, for example, its airbox or rear wing might enter the other’s cockpit, but in this particular case, while I may be wrong, I honestly don’t think it made any difference.
Fikri Harish (@)
26th August 2018, 16:39
“inevitable slide towards uncrashable robocars”
What inevitable slide? Robocar can’t even complete a Goodwood run at full speed. And that’s on a solo run where the car can’t even make it’s way back down on its own.
There’s like, a really, really long way to go before we could see a full grid of 20 self-driving cars on an actual racetrack with changing conditions. And there’s still going to be a lot of crashing even then.
This is much ado about nothing.
LMB-F1 (@luis)
26th August 2018, 17:46
Hulkenberg the spoiled child of F1, who has not done anything in F1, except to win the “24 heures du mans”, … which is no small thing, … but here in F1 has not done anything.
This today is a mistake recorded, could have had serious consequences, in fact, he had them, he left 4 cars destroyed and other consequences, always talk about being a great driver, …can someone remind me what he has done in F1? .
There will be no scolding, but another pilot, from the group of the unloved ones, would be crucifying him.
Bad for Hulk.
Patrick (@paeschli)
26th August 2018, 18:42
A lot of drivers have misjudged their braking point in the past, he just was unlucky to have it on lap 1 @luis
LMB-F1 (@luis)
26th August 2018, 19:58
Totally agree, everyone makes mistakes, the issue is not mistakes, the issue is the consequences.
If you brake too late and only your damage is, nothing happens, it’s your mistake.
If you brake a very small fraction, be late and damage others, it is a mistake to record.
Here we have 5 damaged cars, three totally destroyed.
– What was the cost in money of the destruction of the cars?
– How much was the cost for other pilots?
-What was the cost for other teams?
-What was the cost for your own team?
It is not a question of slowing down later, it is a matter of consequences.
Dave
27th August 2018, 12:13
Fernando pointed the finger at a driver who also hates Magnussen…