Angry Fernando Alonso fires “career at stake” dig at Liam Lawson
"It's his career at stake and not mine."
Fernando Alonso reacted angrily to his skirmish with Liam Lawson on Saturday at the F1 United States Grand Prix.
Alonso was annoyed by Lawson’s attempts to overtake in the sprint race in Texas.
They clashed again later in qualifying when Alonso caused Lawson to slow down.
Alonso labelled Lawson “an idiot” via team radio after their first bust-up in the sprint, and the drivers were spotted in a tense conversation afterwards.
Alonso was quoted by ESPN: "Too much action, maybe, from Lawson, who has six races to prove things.
“I don't think it's the best way, but it's his career at stake and not mine."
Alonso recalled an incident with now-teammate Lance Stroll in 2022, and likened it to his battle with Lawson.
"I think on the straight we nearly crashed like I did with Lance two years ago, at 300 something [kph],” Alonso said.
“Then the way he squeezed out of the corners to the track limits itself, in lap one out of 11, I don't want to make a big thing.
"You know, of course no penalty when someone lifts off in 16, 17, that was probably the biggest surprise."
Alonso denied Lawson’s claim that he tried to “screw” the younger driver, having overtaken him out of the pit-lane.
"No, not really, but you know, everyone on track is behaving as he wants,” Alonso dryly said.
“And for me today it was unnecessary, everyone can have different opinions, I'm OK with that, and it's 24 races, so you meet somewhere in the journey."
Alonso told Motorsport: “Qualifying? What happened in qualifying? Ah, well, because I had the scrubbed set, I was not really into a timed lap, so I didn't want to lose more time.
“And I think it didn't change too much to him. But today, in the sprint, we fought very, very hard.
“He fought very hard, in my opinion, for 16th, 17th. But you know, nothing we can do.”
Lawson is racing as a full-time replacement for Daniel Ricciardo at RB for the first time in Texas.
