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Carlos Sainz blames Fernando Alonso radio for Spanish GP penalty
Carlos Sainz accused compatriot Fernando Alonso of using radio complaints to influence the FIA stewards during the Spanish Grand Prix.
By Nadia van Leeuwen - 2026-09-14T10:58:09.000Z - 3 min read
Formula 1 welcomed a brand-new venue to the calendar with the Spanish Grand Prix held at the Madring circuit, but the weekend quickly descended into an unseemly spat between two of the sport's most prominent Spanish drivers. Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso maintained a cordial atmosphere before the lights went out, yet that pre-race friendliness evaporated once competitive action resumed on track. Racing for position lower down the order, the two compatriots became embroiled in a tense wheel-to-wheel scrap that ultimately ended in disappointment for both men and triggered a post-race war of words.
The flashpoint occurred during the early stages of the grand prix as Alonso launched an attack on Sainz for 17th place. Approaching Turn 5, the two drivers made contact, resulting in visible front wing damage to the Aston Martin machine. Incensed by the move, the two-time world champion immediately took to his team radio to vent his fury at the Williams driver. Alonso claimed that his rival had driven aggressively from the outset and accused the Madrid-born driver of squeezing him toward the wall during the braking phase of the corner.
Sainz, however, mounted a staunch defense of his driving and pointed the finger squarely back at his fellow veteran. The Williams driver suggested that Alonso's vocal reaction over the team radio was a deliberate ploy to influence the race officials. In the paddock after the race, Sainz claimed that his rival managed to provoke a penalty from the authorities just like he always does. The collision was scrutinized by the race stewards, who quickly intervened to determine liability for the Turn 5 contact.
According to the official stewards' verdict, Alonso was closing in on Sainz on the approach to the corner and was in the process of pulling alongside when the infraction occurred. The panel noted that Sainz moved toward the right edge of the track after the deceleration phase had already commenced, which resulted in the two cars making minor contact. The stewards explicitly determined that Sainz had moved under braking and failed to leave sufficient racing room for the Aston Martin on the outside of the track.
Defending his positioning through the tricky sequence, Sainz argued that the nature of Turn 5 inherently invites this exact type of incident because the available tarmac narrows sharply. He maintained that a driver cannot constantly monitor their mirrors while simultaneously negotiating a tight right-left transition, as primary focus must remain on the racing line ahead. Sainz also disputed whether Alonso was actually alongside him at the crucial moment of turn-in, insisting that his rival was not far enough alongside to demand additional space.
Despite the stewards issuing a baseline black-and-white flag for moving under braking, the physical contact between the two cars forced the officials to escalate the punishment to a five-second time penalty. Neither driver managed to salvage a positive result from their home Grand Prix following the altercation. Sainz was eventually forced to retire his Williams car due to the sustained damage, while Alonso laboured to a distant 17th-place finish at the chequered flag, capping off a miserable afternoon for the home heroes.