''It's a new kind of penalty and that's it'' Fernando Alonso on Sunday shrugged off the controversy surrounding his pit-stop during qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix, blamed McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton for the furore and stayed positive about lifting a third straight
drivers crown.
After finishing fourth in a tense race behind the triumphant British rookie Hamilton, the defending double world champion admitted that his relationship with his team-mate was at a new low.
Hamilton even claimed after winning Sunday's race that Alonso has stopped talking to him.
"He didn't obey his bosses, he behaved in a new way with the team and maybe that was a surprise, but everybody can do whatever they want," said Alonso who was relegated to sixth on the grid from pole after being accused of impeding Hamilton during Saturday's qualifying.
Alonso spoke candidly and without emotion about working for McLaren who he joined after two title-winning seasons with Renault in 2005 and 2006.
"It's the same as before the race. Each of us looks at his own interests, trying to do the best race possible, with the best strategy, and I try to do the same with my group of engineers and mechanics," said the Spaniard. "But I guess he will have a different relationship with the team in the next race, because I don't think they are very happy, and I will have the same one (relationship).
"
"What happened yesterday was something new for the team. Hamilton not listening, disobeying them, was something they hadn't experienced and I guess they wanted to make him see that. But anyway, in the next race, I guess everything will be back to normal and we will both try to win the race."
Asked if the sport's ruling body, the FIA, had been fair in stripping him of pole position and his team of their constructors' points, he said: "They should know. If they have penalised me, and the team, they must have a reason. But I repeat what I said before: it's the first time that a rule has been created out of the blue, since there's nothing written in the regulations about the time you take to make a pit-stop."
"Now they'll have to watch all teams closely and whoever takes a bit longer to end the pit-stop will have to be penalised."
Asked about the championship, he said he remained motivated to retain his title - and would dismiss the furore of Budapest from his mind.
"These things happen in every sport, and also in F1, and it happened to me. But we have stop thinking about it. It's a new kind of penalty and that's it," he said.
"It's not easy. I don't know if it's because in previous years I had to defend myself, but it seemed a little easier. This year, I'm always on the limit, tied in the first half of the season, and now I'm a bit behind.
"The races are going by and you arrive each Thursday and you know you have another mountain to climb, that you are going to have to fight against a lot of things, but until the final lap in Brazil you can't ease off."
Source AFP
