Carlos Sainz accuses Fernando Alonso of provoking a penalty "like always"

The first Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid’s new Madring circuit produced an awkward moment between Spain’s two home heroes. Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz had appeared cordial before the race, but that goodwill disappeared on lap 14 as Alonso attacked Sainz for 17th place.

The incident added another flashpoint to a race already facing criticism over its layout. As Madring’s overtaking zones and circuit characteristics were assessed before the event, the Turn 5 sequence demonstrated how quickly a narrow braking approach could become decisive in traffic.

Radio anger and a five-second penalty

Alonso immediately complained over team radio, a pointed attempt to ensure the incident reached race control.

“At the start, he crashed into two people,” Alonso said. “Now he squeezed me into the wall in the braking.”

Sainz had made contact with Yuki Tsunoda’s Racing Bulls at Turn 1 in the concertina effect at the start. The stewards noted that incident but classified it as a racing incident. The contact with Alonso, however, resulted in a five-second penalty for Sainz.

Sainz argued that the corner’s configuration made the contact difficult to avoid. “It’s the nature of that corner when you turn right,” he said, adding that there was limited room for two cars and that a driver could not keep checking the mirrors while negotiating the right-left sequence. He also maintained that Alonso had not been alongside him.

The stewards’ determination reached a different conclusion. They said Alonso was closing and was in the process of pulling alongside when Sainz moved towards the right edge after braking had begun. Their view was that Sainz had moved under braking and should have left more space on the outside. Although the baseline response for such a move was a black-and-white flag, the contact led to a time penalty instead.

Damage ends both drivers’ points hopes

Sainz later retired after his team concluded that floor damage from the opening-lap contact was costing too much performance. Alonso finished 17th, two laps down, leaving neither Spanish driver in the points.

“I think that was unnecessary,” Alonso said. “There was plenty of room on the left. I was just on the wall on the right, 340km/h.”