In F1 cheaters prosper
Alonso was critical of McLaren's Lewis Hamilton receiving a drive-through penalty but still managing to finish second, after illegally overtaking the safety car.
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| Fernando Alonso was steaming mad after the race because cheaters prosper in F1 |
Spaniard Alonso's F10 had been immediately behind Hamilton at the time, but finished the race just ninth.
In a report posted on its official website, Ferrari said the outcome in Valencia is "a scandal".
"The way the race and the incidents during it were managed raise doubts that could see formula one lose some credibility again, as it was seen around the world," read the report.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Hamilton initially said he couldn't remember passing the safety car, but then said he thought he had passed it when he spotted it in the pit entry, "so I continued".
Later, in an official statement, the Briton said: "I took my penalty – it's quite a long time to spend at 60kmh in the pitlane – and I came out second.
"I don't see how that's unfair — it's racing, and those are the rules, and we all have to accept them."
06/27/10 During Mark Webber's crash Lewis Hamilton cheated by passing the safety car, while Fernando Alonso, who was right under Hamilton's rear wing at the time, respected the rules and slotted in behind the safety car. This allowed Hamilton to circulate around the track and gain almost a full lap on Alonso and all those behind him.
Hamilton earned a drive-through penalty for his action, but that only cost him 1/4 of a lap and because he gained a full lap by cheating he kept second place while Alonso dropped out of the point-scoring positions for having respected the rules.
Alonso was fit to be tied after the race.
"It's a shame, not for us because this is racing, but for all the fans who came here to watch a manipulated race," he told Spanish television after the race.
"We were running well, in third after a good start. Then the safety car came out, which wasn't too good for us, but Hamilton overtook the safety car, something that I had never seen, overtaking the medical car with yellow flags. We were a meter off each other, and he finished second and I finished ninth.
"This race was to finish second. Then with the safety car I would have finished where I finished in ninth, and Hamilton in eighth. But here, when you do the normal thing, which is respecting the rules, you finish ninth, and the one who doesn't respect them finishes second."
He was also critical of the time it took the stewards, this weekend including former grand prix winner Heinz-Harald Frentzen, to reach the decision to penalize Hamilton.
"It seems it was very difficult to watch a replay; it takes many laps," said Alonso sarcastically.
"Everything is against us. They allow everything and it's a shame the public has today seen a race that is not quite real."