Fernando Alonso has doubled down on his withering assessment of Formula 1’s driving standards towards the back of the grid, questioning why teams appear willing to tolerate a steady stream of avoidable crashes when the cost cap makes every broken component that much more expensive.
The Spaniard sparked controversy after the United States Grand Prix in Austin, where a contact with Alex Albon on the opening lap left his Aston Martin carrying significant aerodynamic damage. Rather than dismissing the incident as an unfortunate racing moment, Alonso delivered a blunt verdict on the quality of driving in the lower reaches of the field.
With the paddock now in Mexico City, the two-time world champion has made it clear that his frustration was not simply the product of a bad afternoon in Texas. He believes the problem is more widespread, and that the responsibility for addressing it lies well beyond the stewards’ office.
Alonso refuses to soften his verdict
Alonso did not hold back his criticism after the Austin race, arguing that starting towards the back exposed drivers to a level of risk that was difficult to justify.
"When you start at the back, there is always this risk,” said at COTA. “I think the quality of the drivers in the low third of the grid is very low, as we saw today with Alex.
“So I think we need to improve the car and start a little bit higher up.”
The comments inevitably raised eyebrows, particularly given their sweeping implication about the calibre of drivers competing in F1. But when asked about them during Thursday’s media session in Mexico, Alonso showed little appetite for a climbdown.
"I don't know if it's one third of the grid, because then I saw some reports trying to pick out 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", he explained.
"That tells you everything, so I still feel the same. That was a mistake that was not needed and I still find it difficult to understand what the opportunity was that Alex saw in that moment.
"But it's not only Austin. Unfortunately, I’ve been in that part of the race for the whole season, so I see things from the car that I cannot tell you."
Alonso’s argument is not that standards have necessarily deteriorated over time. Instead, he believes the conditions at the back of the field make errors more likely without excusing the consequences.
Read also: Alonso blasts ‘very low’ driving standards after Albon clashAsked whether he had witnessed a gradual decline in driving standards, the Aston Martin driver clarified:
"No, I think it's the same over the years.
"Obviously, when you are at the back of the grid, the cars are more difficult to drive. They have less grip and mistakes are coming more often because you don't have the environment that is under control. The car does not welcome you in a nice way, so you make more mistakes.
"But I feel that all the incidents in lap one, all the touches, all the front wings that fly around, all these kind of things are not necessary. Especially if you are fighting for nothing at the back of the grid.
"There is the cost cap also adding to this problem, but if their teams are happy with the cost cap and breaking things every race, it's okay for them."
The cost cap and a question of ambition
That final barb carries a pointed message for teams operating in the lower half of the standings. Under F1’s cost cap, crash damage is an unwelcome drain on resources, potentially forcing teams to divert money and parts away from development.
Alonso’s suggestion is that outfits cannot complain about financial constraints while seemingly accepting repeated damage as an inevitable cost of doing business.
Williams team principal James Vowles has repeatedly called for a rethink of the cost cap, but Alonso’s remarks approach the issue from a different angle: reducing unnecessary incidents could ease the pressure without requiring the financial regulations to be rewritten.
More importantly, Alonso does not believe the answer lies primarily with the stewards. Their job, in his view, is to intervene when necessary over clear safety concerns, not to police every questionable decision made in the heat of battle.
"No, I think the stewards, it's not their job unless there is something clearly unsafe. So it's not part of the stewards' job. It's just whatever ambition those drivers have, whatever they want for the future,” he said.
"If they want to stay in Formula 1 for longer, if they want to have an opportunity to get into a bigger team, or if they are happy to crash."
The F1 veteran’s message is that the responsibility ultimately rests with the drivers themselves: they must decide whether their ambition extends beyond simply holding onto a place on the grid.
Alonso’s comments may not win him many friends among those at the sharp end of the criticism. But with his Austin experience still fresh, Alonso appears determined to keep the spotlight on what he sees as an avoidable problem – one that costs teams money, damages races and, in his view, demands more accountability from the drivers involved.
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