Tension at COTA: Lawson confused by Alonso's heated reaction

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

AUSTIN — The U.S. Grand Prix sprint at Circuit of the Americas witnessed unexpected drama between Liam Lawson and Fernando Alonso, leaving Lawson bewildered by Alonso's intense reaction.

The tension unfolded during the sprint race when Alonso managed to overtake Lawson on the long back straight. However, at the subsequent left-hander, Lawson executed a swift switch-back maneuver to reclaim his position, inadvertently squeezing the Aston Martin driver in the process. This move prompted an irritated Alonso to comment over the team radio, "Man, the AlphaTauri is such an idiot," recalling the team's former name.

Following the race, the conflict appeared unresolved as Alonso was seen having a heated discussion with Lawson beside their cars. Speaking to DAZN, Alonso critiqued Lawson’s tactics, "Too much action, maybe, from Lawson, who has six races to prove things. I don't think it's the best way, but it's his career at stake and not mine."

Alonso’s frustration carried over into the start of Q1, where he noticeably weaved behind Lawson before overtaking him on the incline towards Turn 1.

Lawson expressed his confusion over Alonso’s behavior. "I don't know, he said he would screw me and I guess he kept his word. Yeah, I don't know why he was so upset, we were racing for P16," Lawson remarked. "It is what it is. Hopefully, he can get over it and we'll move forward."

In acknowledging Alonso’s difficult race, Lawson added, "I understand he had a pretty horrible race so I can understand why he's upset. But if I did anything wrong I'd have got a penalty."

Alonso compared the near-collision with Lawson to a previous incident with his teammate Lance Stroll in 2022 at the same section of the track. "I think on the straight we nearly crashed like I did with Lance two years ago, at 300 something [kph], and then the way he squeezed out of the corners was surprising, especially in lap one out of 11."

When asked if his actions out of the pit-lane were intentional to spite Lawson, Alonso clarified, "No, not really. Everyone on track behaves as he wants. For me today it was unnecessary. Everyone can have different opinions, I'm OK with that, and it's 24 races, so you meet somewhere in the journey."

Eventually, Alonso downplayed the incident, telling journalists it was not significant.

Stay tuned as the Formula 1 season continues to unfold, promising more high-stakes action and intense rivalries.

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