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Italian Grand Prix: Alonso accuses stewards of drinking beer instead of watching race

The stewards at Sunday's Italian Grand Prix were 'having a Heineken' instead of watching the race properly, according to a furious Fernando Alonso.

Published: 4 September 2017 08:50 CEST

Italian Grand Prix: Alonso accuses stewards of drinking beer instead of watching race

McLaren's Spanish driver Fernando Alonso. Photo: AFP

The two-time world champion accused the stewards of enjoying the beer supplied by Formula One's sponsors after an incident in which Briton Jolyon Palmer passed him, by cutting out the second chicane.

He believed the stewards misread the incident and did not react appropriately, launching into a tirade of radio messages to his McLaren-Honda team.

The incident had enabled Palmer of Renault to take 12th position in the race – which he refused to give back, as is conventional when a driver cuts out a chicane.

The stewards eventually caught up with events and gave Palmer a five-second penalty before he retired with mechanical problems. When Alonso learned of the Englishman's exit, he told his team it was 'karma'.

He said: “When we arrived at the chicane we were side-by-side… We braked late and I managed to take the chicane, but he didn't and he jumped it and stayed in front.

“Usually, that's something that's very clear in the rules – when two cars are side-by-side at the chicane and one gets to take it and one doesn't, you give back the position — but this time the FIA must have been having a Heineken.

“It was not up to F1 standards. There is not an interpretation possible there. It is black and white, but anyway, fighting for 16th and 17th, it doesn't matter.”

Alonso was also forced into retirement on the penultimate lap with gearbox problems.

Palmer said he blamed Alonso for their incident at the chicane. “I was ahead coming in, he braked super-late and forced me off the track – I'm sure it will be another talking point at the next race because Fernando is not very happy about it, but I don't care.”

The pair also clashed at last weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, triggering the bad blood that was prevalent in Sunday's race.

READ ALSO: The latest sports news from across Italy

Spain women's World Cup players demand more heads roll as Rubiales in court

Just hours after Luis Rubiales was quizzed by a judge for kissing midfielder Jenni Hermoso, all but two of Spain’s 23 World Cup players said they would not don the national shirt without deeper changes within the RFEF, demanding its current interim head also resign.

The statement came as the squad’s new coach Montse Tome was to announce the lineup for two upcoming UEFA Women’s Nations League matches against Sweden and Switzerland, which was promptly postponed, federation sources said.

“The changes put in place are not enough,” said a statement signed by 39 players, among them 21 of the 23 World Cup winners.

Demanding “fundamental changes to the RFEF’s leadership”, they called for the “resignation of the RFEF president” Pedro Rocha, who took over as interim leader when FIFA suspended Rubiales on August 26.

But the federation insisted Rocha would “lead the transition process within the RFEF until the next election”, insisting any changes would be made “gradually”.

A federation source said a leadership election could take place early next year.

“This institution is more important than individuals and it’s crucial it remains strong. We’ll work tirelessly to create stability first in order to progress later,” Rocha said in the statement.

Despite a string of recent changes, the federation remains in the hands of officials appointed by Rubiales, and the players are demanding structural changes “within the office of the president and the secretary general”.

Brought to court by a kiss

The bombshell came after days of optimism within the RFEF that the players would come round after it sacked controversial coach Jorge Vilda, appointed Tome in his stead and pledged further changes, not to mention Rubiales’ long-awaited resignation on Sunday.

On August 25, 81 Spain players, including the 23 world champions, had started a mass strike saying they would not play for the national team without significant changes at the head of the federation.

Earlier on Friday, Rubiales appeared in court where he was quizzed by Judge Francisco de Jorge who is heading up the investigation into the kiss, which sparked international outrage and saw him brought up on sexual assault charges.

At the end of the closed-door hearing, in which Rubiales repeated his claim that the kiss was consensual, the judge ordered him not to come within 200 metres of Hermoso and barred him from any contact with the player.

At the weekend, the 46-year-old had described the kiss as “a spontaneous act, a mutual act, an act that both consented to, which was… 100 percent non-sexual” in an interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan.

Hermoso, 33, has insisted it was not, describing it as “an impulsive, macho act, out of place and with no type of consent on my part”.

Speaking to reporters outside court, Hermoso’s lawyer Carla Vall said they were “very satisfied” with the hearing.

“Thanks to this video, everyone can see there was no consent whatsoever and that is what we will demonstrate in court.”

Allegations of coercion

Hermoso herself will also testify before the judge at some stage, who will then have to decide whether or not to push ahead with the prosecution. No date has been given for her testimony.

The complaint against Rubiales, which was filed by the public prosecutors’ office, cites alleged offences of sexual assault and coercion.

Under a recent reform of the Spanish penal code, a non-consensual kiss can be considered sexual assault, a category which groups all types of sexual violence.

If found guilty, Rubiales could face anything from a fine to four years in prison, sources at the public prosecutors’ office have said.

In their complaint, prosecutors explained the offence of coercion related to Hermoso’s statement saying she “and those close to her had suffered constant ongoing pressure by Luis Rubiales and his professional entourage to justify and condone” his actions.

At the hearing, Rubiales also denied coercion.

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