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SEPANG – Fernando Alonso has questioned the decision to restore the original starting grid for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, calling it “100 per cent unfair” after Lewis Hamilton was handed a reprieve following chaos on the formation lap.
Hamilton started from second on the grid but was among several drivers caught out by a software glitch in wet conditions before the race.
The Ferrari driver came to a halt on the back straight and dropped to 16th, while Esteban Ocon and Valtteri Bottas also stopped during the formation lap.
Hamilton was eventually able to restart his Ferrari after a reset, but the FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) suspended the start sequence and red-flagged the race amid the confusion.
When the problem was resolved, the decision was taken to restore the drivers to their original grid positions for the standing start, allowing Hamilton to return to second.
He subsequently fought his way through difficult conditions to finish third. For Alonso, however, the decision raised questions about fairness.
The Aston Martin driver, who finished eighth to secure the team's best result of the season, said the decision would have been viewed differently had his own car been one of those forced to stop.
“I think I've had 50 per cent DNF this year, and they never stopped the race for us,” Alonso told journalists after the race. “There are eight races to go, and if we keep this percentage, in four races, we will DNF, and we will see four red flags for sure.”
Asked about the cars that stopped during the formation lap, Alonso suggested the FIA's approach could depend on which team was affected.
“The same thing that goes through [the FIA's] mind when they see the Aston Martin stop and sit on one side because they have a problem and good because you have one less car in the race,” he said.
The two-time world champion was then unequivocal when asked whether restoring the original grid was unfair, to which he said: “100 per cent."
“I mean, this is motor racing. If it is a safety concern, I get it. If there are five cars in the middle of the road, we have to stop the race and see what is going on," he said.
But Alonso believed the affected cars could have been removed without requiring the entire starting order to be reset.
“I think [the cars that stopped] were out of the race. They were at the wall, and the marshals just had to push it two metres and retire the car, like we do at 50 per cent of the races," he said.
The Spaniard admitted he did not have all the information behind the FIA's decision and was therefore reluctant to push the issue further.
“It is the first time I see it, but right now, I don't have all the information, so there is no clear explanation, and it is okay, and I'm not too concerned,” he said.
For Alonso, however, Aston Martin benefited from the conditions. The rain created opportunities for the team, with Alonso taking eighth and Lance Stroll also scoring, allowing Aston Martin to more than double its points tally from three to seven in a single race.
“From our side, we try to do our job, try to keep the car running, and then the rain was very much appreciated in terms of opportunities for us,” Alonso said.
Hamilton's podium was one of the more remarkable recoveries of the race after he had appeared to lose his second-place starting advantage when his Ferrari stopped during the formation lap.
