Alonso blames 'back of the grid' driving after Albon clash as Williams man calls him fair

Fernando Alonso has hit out at the standard of driving at the back of the Formula 1 field after a first-lap collision with Alex Albon wrecked his United States Grand Prix. The Aston Martin driver finished 16th in Austin and said the damage cost him a likely points finish. Albon, who finished one place behind in 17th, has since responded, describing their battle as fun and the Spaniard as a hard but fair opponent.

What happened at Turn 11

The contact came on the opening lap at Turn 11, the tight hairpin at the end of the first sector at the Circuit of the Americas. Albon tried to go up the inside of Alonso, and the two cars touched. Alonso's Aston Martin lost its left-hand bargeboard, while Albon carried on with a broken front wing.

The stewards took no action, treating it as a typical first-lap racing incident. Neither driver retired, but both spent the rest of the afternoon at the tail of the field. The race had only three retirements: Valtteri Bottas, Franco Colapinto and Oliver Bearman.

Alonso: 'a very good weekend ruined'

Alonso said the bargeboard damage cost him more than half a second per lap for the remaining 55 laps, yet he still felt the car was competitive. He rated Sunday as his best race of the season and believed ninth or tenth place had been possible.

He blamed Albon directly, suggesting the Williams driver had forgotten Turn 11 was there, and then widened his criticism. In his view, the quality of drivers fighting at the bottom of the grid is very low at present. He summed up his day as "a very good weekend ruined on the first lap."

His frustration is understandable in context. Aston Martin and Honda have had a hard first season together under the 2026 rules, and Lance Stroll finished just one place ahead of Alonso in 15th. Points have been rare, so a lost opportunity hurts more.

Albon's side of the story

Albon did not dispute that he made contact, but he offered a different picture of the moment. He said a car on Alonso's right had left space, so as he moved to the inside the gap closed up. He tried to escape over the kerb but could not avoid the Aston Martin.

Rather than firing back, Albon was complimentary. He described Alonso as strong but always fair and compared their scrap to watching a heavier car get picked off by a nimbler one through the corners. Albon also said he lost 10 to 12 seconds to blue flags late on and tried to hold up the two Aston Martins to help team-mate Carlos Sainz, who finished 18th, though both got past.

Why it matters for Mexico

For two of the grid's most experienced drivers, the episode underlines how tight and messy the lower midfield has become in 2026. Williams finished 17th and 18th in Austin, while Aston Martin were 15th and 16th, all a lap down. The Mexico City Grand Prix this weekend, with its long run to Turn 1 at high altitude, is another circuit where opening-lap contact is common.

Mexico City's race starts at 14:00 local time on Sunday 1 November, 4am on Monday in Malaysia. Both teams will hope for a clean first lap after Austin.

Key takeaways

• Albon and Alonso collided at Turn 11 on lap one of the US Grand Prix.
• The stewards took no action, calling it a first-lap racing incident.
• Alonso said the bargeboard damage cost him over half a second a lap and a likely point.
• He criticised the overall standard of drivers at the back of the grid.
• Albon accepted the contact but called Alonso strong and always fair.

FAQ

Was Alex Albon penalised for hitting Fernando Alonso in Austin? No. The stewards took no action and treated the Turn 11 contact as a normal first-lap racing incident.

Where did Alonso and Albon finish the US Grand Prix? Alonso finished 16th and Albon 17th, both one lap behind race winner Kimi Antonelli.

What damage did Alonso's car suffer? His Aston Martin lost its left-hand bargeboard, which reduced downforce. Alonso estimated it cost him more than half a second per lap.

Sources: RacingNews365, PlanetF1, GPFans