Fernando Alonso had recently opened up about the driving standards in Formula 1 after his collision in the US GP. Alonso criticised the drivers by stating that the collision occurred due to a very low
level of driving and talent. The Spanish driver suffered a collision with Alex Albon on Lap 1, and that hindered his progress in the race.
He was once again asked in Mexico City if he stood by the remarks he made earlier, and he doubled down on his claims. The Aston Martin driver firmly argued that the top drivers wouldn’t end their races on the opening lap. There has been a significant amount of backlash from the rivals, following his harsh comments.
“I think it’s simply a very low level of driving and a lack of talent. When you make repeated mistakes throughout the season and have crashes, and 50 per cent of your race is in Lap 1… I think we all know which ones we are talking about,” stated Fernando Alonso on the driving standards of Formula 1. The Spanish driver criticised the driving style, and he was surprised by the frequency of the mistakes in Lap 1. He finished second from the back in the US GP, and he was distraught with himself about the performance and the initial collision.
Fernando Alonso has doubled down on backmarker driving standards in F1 👀 https://t.co/EVUQJMHx22
— Autosport (@autosport) October 30, 2026
Alex Albon firmly hits back at Alonso’s absurd claims on driving levels
Fernando Alonso argued that chaotic opening laps and needless contact were important reasons for his poor finish in the US Grand Prix. He further added that flying carbon fibre does not serve any purpose when cars are battling outside the points. Alonso also expressed his growing frustration with his Aston Martin team’s persistent presence among the backmarkers.
However, Alex Albon hasn’t taken the criticism lightly, and he has firmly hit back at the Aston Martin driver. He stated that Alonso tends to fight people at the top as he isn’t going to achieve his desired result in this year’s Formula 1 Championship.
“It’s not nice to hear those comments in many ways. You’re racing someone that you looked up to, but at the same time, I don’t agree; Hopefully, we don’t cross paths in the race this weekend. I would say I’ve never been in the last third of the grid until this year; Not so much because of the quality of the racing. It’s because you tend to fight people who have very little to lose because the best result you’re going to achieve is P20 anyway,” stated Alex Albon in response to the comments of Fernando Alonso.
Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz were disappointed with the characterisation of Fernando Alonso, following his defeat. They emphasised that the competitive landscape of the sport has evolved and that none of his claims could be true. The Williams duo acknowledged that running near the rear does give them psychological pressure and certain errors could be made in the process.
Alex added that he hopes not to cross each other’s paths in the upcoming race in Mexico as it probably couldn’t end well. The Williams driver went on to claim that he hasn’t finished in the last third of the grid this year and that is because of the quality of his racing.
Fernando Alonso would be aiming to finish higher in the upcoming race in Mexico, and that could probably calm his growing frustration. His sharp criticism of the Williams duo has been met with opposition, and that could create tensions between the two. There could be an exciting contest unfolding in Mexico with Fernando Alonso racing against Alex Albon in the circuit.
