Fernando Alonso demands F1 find a way to prevent qualifying crash advantage

Stroll crashed in qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix — Photo: © LAT Images

Azerbaijan Gand Prix

Alonso demands F1 find a way to prevent qualifying crash advantage

Five drivers crashed in qualifying for Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Will Gray

Sunday 6 June 2021 12:59

Fernando Alonso has called for F1 to review how to prevent drivers benefitting from crashing during qualifying after five of the 20 cars ended up in the walls in Baku on Saturday.

Eight of the top 10 runners in Q3 were unable to complete their final grid-deciding laps for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after Yuki Tsunoda and Carlos Sainz crashed in the closing seconds of the session, which was the fourth stoppage of a dramatic red-flag filled qualifying.

Charles Leclerc benefitted to claim pole for Ferrari, doing so after a shortened session for the second race in succession after crashing out in Monaco a fortnight ago.

Two-time champion Alonso, though, feels enough is enough.

“I know there was some discussions already after Monaco, when Leclerc crashed and you are able to repair the car, and I think there are going to be even more now," said Alonso.

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“There were four or five cars that made a mistake and there is no price to pay, and that’s a little bit unfair for all the other people that didn’t make a mistake.

“The rule is like this, we knew that before we started the weekend, and sometimes we may get a guy in the wall and will benefit from this rule, but it is the way it is.

“Maybe we need to think how to improve, because I think we didn’t enjoy qualifying from inside the cars and probably from the outside because everyone is hoping to see the real battle on the last couple of new sets of tyres in Q3 when the gloves are off.”

Alonso must keep concentration

The walls around the tricky street track has claimed many drivers throughout this weekend, including championship leader Max Verstappen in FP3, but Alonso is one who has stayed clean so far.

After setting a banker lap of ninth in Q3, he was one driver to miss out on the chance to improve his grid spot, but he quipped: “if we continue this amount of accidents we will finish on the podium”.

The Alpine driver believes concentration will be vital in the 51-lap race, though. He added: “I am sure the race will be much more boring than qualifying, even though you can overtake here in Baku.

“We need to make sure we have the pace because if not we will lose the positions quite quickly.

“It is going to be a very long race and we will need to be very focused because a small mistake you finish in the wall and we have been away from the walls so far this weekend so we need to keep the concentration.”