sport news George Russell insists it 'would have opened can of worms for the rest of the ... trends now
It's the debate which continues to divide drivers up and down the paddock - should Fernando Alonso have been penalised for the role he played in George Russell's terrifying crash at the Australian Grand Prix?
Almost two weeks have passed since Russell's car was left teetering precariously on its side, bang on the racing line of the high-speed turn six at Melbourne's Albert Park track, after he lost control and struck the barrier while hunting down Alonso on the penultimate lap.
Alonso was accused of brake checking Russell after on-board telemetry data showed the veteran driver had slowed significantly more heading into turn six than he had done in previous laps.
While the Spaniard strenuously denied those claims, insisting that drivers don't have to push their car to the limit every lap, a lengthy stewards enquiry determined he had driven in a 'potentially dangerous' manner by changing his usual approach to the corner.
That verdict saw him slapped with a 20-second time penalty, pushing him from sixth down to eighth in the final standings, and handed three penalty points on his licence.
George Russell's car ended up on its side after his crash on the final lap of the Australian GP
The British star crashed into the barriers before eventually ending up in the middle of the track
Russell emerged unhurt from the crash but he quickly urged a red flag to be called
The British driver had been battling Fernando Alonso for sixth when the crash occurred
Reflecting on the incident, Russell is pleased that Alonso was punished for his role in the crash
The pair have met since, albeit by chance in a coffee shop in England, where Russell explained the crash was not discussed.
But it remained as clear as day today in Suzuka that Alonso remains incredibly frustrated by the outcome.
'It was clear and it's still clear,' said Alonso when asked whether he understood what is and isn't permitted when defending a position.
'I was surprised by the penalty in Melbourne but there's nothing we can do. We have to accept it and move on. It will not change much on how we drive or how we approach racing.
'There is no obligation to drive 57 laps in the same way. Sometimes we get slower pace to save fuel, tyres and battery. Sometimes we go slow into corners on some sectors of the track to give the DRS to the car behind because it would be a useful tool if the second car behind is at a faster pace. All those things are completely normal. It was, it is and it will forever be in motorsport.
'We had one penalty, probably it will be a one-off that will never apply ever again. It was the hardest penalty of the season which is… strange.'
Russell, unsurprisingly, retains the belief that Alonso's actions crossed the line. The 26-year-old was heard pleading on the team radio for a red flag after the incident as he feared
