Lewis Hamilton accused Fernando Alonso of sour grapes as their bitter rivalry resurfaced following the contentious European Grand Prix held in Valencia.
Alonso opened a can of worms after the race in Valencia by stating it had been “manipulated”, and accusing Hamilton of disrespecting the rules as he overtook the safety car deployed following Mark Webber’s spectacular crash.
Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali, president Luca di Montezemolo and vice-president Piero Ferrari have all since expressed anger and bitterness at the events that unfolded.
Di Montezemolo, claiming what took place was “unacceptable” and that it has created “dangerous precedents,” has even suggested the FIA should look into the matter and take further action.
It is highly unlikely they will do so, nor are they likely to punish Alonso for comments that could be construed as calling into question the integrity of race director Charlie Whiting and his stewards. For his infringement, Hamilton was handed a drive-through penalty but retained second place, while Alonso finished eighth after he filed in behind the safety car when running third behind Hamilton at the time.
Asked if Alonso’s comments were a case of sour grapes, Hamilton replied: “Yeah. I even saw him overtaken by a Sauber on the big screen (referring to Kamui Kobayashi’s pass on Alonso on the penultimate lap).
“It’s very unlike him to be overtaken by a Sauber so he must have been completely in another world. But I don’t understand why I affected his race so much.
“Everyone has a right to their opinion, and he must be disappointed with his own result, but I didn’t do anything to him.”
Defending the stewards, who have penalised Hamilton for a number of infractions in the past, the 25-year-old added: “The FIA are doing an incredible job because they are allowing us to race this year.”