George Russell believes F1 risked opening 'can of worms' with Fernando Alonso incident

George Russell has expressed his concern about the repercussions if Fernando Alonso had not received a penalty for his sudden braking incident at the Australian Grand Prix.

The incident, which resulted in a crash, led to Alonso being handed a 20-second post-race penalty for potentially dangerous driving.

Russell, who was caught off guard by Alonso's actions, believes that not penalizing such behavior would have set a problematic precedent for future races, both in Formula 1 and in junior categories.

He questions whether drivers would be allowed to slow down, change gear, or perform other erratic maneuvers without consequences.

Despite the incident having significant consequences, Russell does not harbor any personal grudges against Alonso.

However, he emphasizes that if such actions were left unpunished, it would raise questions about the legality of braking in the middle of a straight.

Russell recounted his encounter with the double world champion, the most seasoned driver in the sport, at a coffee shop in Monaco after returning home. However, they did not discuss the incident.

"When we have our helmets on, we are all competitors and fighters. But when the helmets come off, there is mutual respect," he emphasized.

As a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA), Russell expressed the need for Formula 1 to utilize existing technology more effectively.

"Fortunately, I had a 10-second gap behind me, and I believe it was around 10 or 12 seconds before the safety car was deployed," he stated. "However, within those 10 seconds, multiple cars could have entered the danger zone if it had occurred on the first lap of the race."

"I believe we should explore a system where if a car is in a hazardous position, an automated VSC (virtual safety car) is activated immediately, within half a second or so."

"Every second matters, and lives are at stake... I believe it is time to utilize the technology we have and take steps in this direction."

Max Verstappen, the triple world champion from Red Bull, mentioned that the incident and penalty would be addressed during the drivers' briefing.

Alonso regarded the penalty as a singular occurrence that is unlikely to repeat, while also attributing blame to what he deemed a dangerous corner. He stated that without the accident, it would not have garnered any attention.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri of McLaren expressed their belief that Alonso should not have faced penalties.

Norris, speaking to reporters, stated that George only needed to brake a mere five meters earlier, emphasizing that George also played a role in the incident.

On the other hand, Charles Leclerc from Ferrari held a different opinion. He believed that Alonso's actions in Australia were excessive and warranted penalties.

Carlos Sainz, Leclerc's teammate who secured a one-two victory for Ferrari in the Melbourne race, agreed that the corner in question should be reviewed.

Sainz expressed his concerns about the blind nature of the corner, its high speed of 250kph, and his dissatisfaction with recent incidents occurring there.