Stroll penalised for Alonso collision 'where it all went wrong'

F1
- Last updated: October 27th 2022

Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso collided at COTA, causing a huge accident at the 2022 US GP – the Canadian refused to apportion blame

Fernando Alonso hits Lance Stroll in the 2022 US Grand Prix

Alonso connected with the rear of Stroll's Aston Martin

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Lance Stroll had described his huge shunt with Fernando Alonso at the US GP as “one of those racing incidents where it all went wrong.”

A relatively last-minute jink to the left from the Canadian whilst defending from the Alpine driver caused a huge crash mid-race at COTA, with Alonso describing it as a “late move”.

After the incident was reviewed by the stewards, the FIA announced Stroll will be handed a three-place grid penalty for next weekend’s Mexican GP.

As the field bunched up after a safety car – which was brought out to retrieve a beached Valtteri Bottas – the Alpine closed up to the seventh-placed Aston Martin, with Alonso finding a slipstream on the back straight.

As the Spaniard moved left to overtake, Stroll slightly jerked to the left at the last moment in reaction, putting him directly in the path of the Alpine, which rode over the back of the Aston Martin at almost 200mph.

Stroll was sent into a fierce spin, whipping into the barriers on the right, whilst Alonso went airborne across the other side of the track and into the Armco.

Whilst the Canadian’s car was totally destroyed, Alonso was remarkably able to continue after changing his front wing under what would be a lengthy second safety car period, fighting back to finish seventh.

Later in the race, the Alpine’s rattled right mirror flew off due to the earlier impact – Alonso was retrospectively handed a 30sec penalty for not pitting to fix it, demoting him to 15th.

Alonso was audibly shaken, whilst Stroll simply swore on the radio after confirming he was ok, before giving his side of the coming-together afterwards – prior to the stewards’ decision.

“I went to defend, there was a difference in speed,” Stroll told Sky Sports after the race.

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“I mean, he was quite a bit quicker than me, a misjudgement a little bit on both ends. I left him room move on the left, he was very close. Maybe I moved a bit late.

“It’s just quite like one of those racing incidents where it all went wrong at the same time.”

Stroll brushed off any suggestion the shunt might cause tension between himself and his future team-mate, with Alonso moving to Aston next year.

“We’re racing drivers, these things happen in racing,” he said.

Once Alonso had recovered from the race, the Spaniard was able to make light of the shunt.

“This year we have a very strong car – apparently whoever crashes with an Alpine has everything to lose!” he joked, before taking a more serious view.

“We got lucky today. Not only the car itself, but also my health. I’m happy to be talking here with you and not in the medical centre.

“It is difficult, I saw now in the stewards room on the TV, I think we moved both at the same time to the left, so it was not that he reacted to my movement or anything like that.

“It was an unfortunate moment of the race, unlucky for both.”

Though the incident was only reviewed after the race, many were quick to criticise what appeared a very late move from Stroll.

Drivers are permitted only one defensive move when racing – with Stroll already on the right-hand side before moving left, some will say he contravened this.

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