Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz exchanged sharp criticism after a high-speed incident during the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, with the two home drivers coming close to contact at more than 300 km/h while fighting near the back of the field. Carlos Sainz was later handed a five-second penalty for moving under braking, while Fernando Alonso said he would rather “be alive” than risk a major accident at such speeds.
The incident added an unexpectedly heated Spanish subplot to the first Formula 1 race at the Madring. Neither Fernando Alonso nor Carlos Sainz was in a position to challenge the leading teams, but their battle for 17th place on lap 13 produced one of the most tense moments of the race.
Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz clash in Madrid
After Kimi Antonelli’s Monza victory, there was little realistic hope of another home favourite producing a major result in Madrid. Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz both knew they lacked the performance to fight the strongest cars at the front.
Instead, the two Spaniards nearly made headlines for the wrong reason. Approaching the Turn 5-6 chicane on lap 13, Fernando Alonso attempted to challenge Carlos Sainz while the pair were travelling at more than 300 km/h.
“He pushed me into the wall! At the start he hit two cars, now he’s pushing me towards the wall under braking: I was doing more than 300 km/h,” Fernando Alonso complained over team radio to his race engineer.
Carlos Sainz had already endured a difficult start to his home race. The Williams driver misjudged his braking into Turn 1 at the start and made contact with Yuki Tsunoda.
Carlos Sainz receives five-second penalty for moving under braking
The stewards investigated the later incident with Fernando Alonso and handed Carlos Sainz a five-second time penalty for moving under braking.
The sanction ultimately had little effect on either driver’s final result. Fernando Alonso went on to finish 17th, while Carlos Sainz retired from the race.
Fernando Alonso nevertheless returned to the incident when speaking after the Grand Prix and made clear that, even if the sporting consequences were limited, he considered the move dangerous.
“It didn’t make any difference, but I prefer to be alive at the end of the Grand Prix and not have crashes at 340 km/h.”
For Williams, the episode added to a difficult Spanish Grand Prix in which Carlos Sainz was unable to convert his home support into a meaningful result.
Carlos Sainz hits back at Fernando Alonso after Madrid penalty
Carlos Sainz did not agree with Fernando Alonso’s interpretation of the incident and responded after the race by suggesting that his compatriot’s radio complaints had influenced the outcome.
“There’s nothing to say. It’s the nature of the corner, but he complained on the radio and managed to get me penalised, as always.”
The response underlined how differently the two Spanish drivers viewed the same moment. Fernando Alonso believed Carlos Sainz had moved dangerously while braking at extremely high speed, while Carlos Sainz felt the characteristics of the corner played a significant role and was frustrated that the incident resulted in a penalty.
It was an especially disappointing conclusion to Carlos Sainz’s Madrid weekend after Williams had marked his home event with a special FW48 livery inspired by the team’s 1981 design.
Neither Spaniard left the Madring with the result the home crowd had hoped for, but their high-speed confrontation ensured that the battle between Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz became one of the most controversial moments of the Spanish Grand Prix.
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