Fernando Alonso addresses Australia recovery vehicle concerns: “It was under control”

Fernando Alonso has sided with Lando Norris and Max Verstappen in dismissing concerns about recovery vehicles being on track during the F1 Australian Grand Prix.

The season-opening race in Melbourne on Sunday was chaotic, with six cars failing to make the chequered flag due to accidents.

Isack Hadjar crashed on the formation lap, while Jack Doohan was out of the race after the opening lap.

Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso, Gabriel Bortoleto and Liam Lawson all had shunts during the race.

Due to the location of the Albert Park circuit, recovery vehicles must enter the circuit to clear stricken cars.

F1 faced backlash, particularly from viewers, about having these cars on track amid safety concerns.

This stretches back to the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix when Jules Bianchi tragically hit a recovery vehicle.

After the race in Australia, Norris and Verstappen responded bluntly to any concerns.

Verstappen said: “I mean, if you crash into that, behind the Safety Car, then you’re really stupid.”

And Norris added: “You shouldn’t be in Formula 1.”

While Alonso was less abrupt with his response, but felt that it was “nothing crazy” and “under control”.

“I don’t know the exact details so difficult to comment,” he said. “I think Melbourne isn’t an easy track to recover cars. At one point they need to go into the track.

“I think we have now a different system than what we had in the past that in the yellow flag zones, even behind the Safety Car, you have to respect an even slower lap time. At one point you need to take that car out from the track so if you respect that time you shouldn’t be too fast in that zone.

“I know the sense of the question but I don’t think it was nothing crazy. It was under control.”

Gabriel Bortoleto agreed with Alonso.

The Sauber rookie said: “Same, to be honest, I agree, the double yellow area that you need to follow the delta, you go very, very slow there.

“And if the stewards decided like this, for sure they’re keeping an eye on that after what happened in the past already, so they wouldn’t try to make a mistake like this again.”

Haas’ Oliver Bearman added: “I agree with everything they said. At the speed we were going, it was OK, but yeah, I understand the sense of the question.”