P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Fernando Alonso’s and Lewis Hamilton’s late-race Abu Dhabi Grand Prix flashpoint had Hamilton accusing Alonso of “brake testing” him – but the Aston Martin driver’s motivation was almost certainly a different one
In the late stages of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton had a heated moment. Hamilton accused Alonso of brake testing him, but it appears that Alonso had a different motive. After coming out of a pitstop, Alonso moved to the right and slowed down significantly approaching Turn 5. Observations from Sky Sports F1’s Anthony Davidson revealed that Alonso was likely trying to let Hamilton pass before the DRS detection line to gain an advantage on the following straight. Hamilton did not elaborate on his accusations of brake testing during the race. Alonso mentioned the incident, referring to a similar one in the 2013 Canadian GP where he successfully used the DRS to overtake Hamilton. The incident in Abu Dhabi went unpunished, but it raises concerns about the safety of such actions. Alonso displayed a laid-back and humorous attitude when asked about it, indicating that he is not worried about the safety aspect. Alonso finished seventh in the race, while Hamilton attempted a last-lap move on Yuki Tsunoda.
