Fernando Alonso criticizes driver standards after Albon collision

Alonso defends comments on driver standards

Max Verstappen faces engineering changes while Fernando Alonso continues to criticize driver standards. Fernando Alonso argues that the quality of drivers occupying the lower third of the F1 grid is "very low" following his collision with Alex Albon at the United States Grand Prix. The Aston Martin driver sustained significant floor and sidepod damage at Turn 11 when Albon attempted an inside pass. Alonso maintains his stance ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix media day, stating he sees things from the car that he cannot tell. He argues that drivers at the back face more frequent mistakes because they lack grip and a controlled environment. Alonso also suggested that teams fighting for nothing at the back of the grid struggle with the cost cap when breaking components every race. He noted that if teams are happy with the cost cap and breaking things every race, it remains okay for them.

Alonso stated that the mistake by Albon was "not needed" and expressed difficulty understanding what opportunity the Williams driver saw. He argues that the responsibility for these incidents does not lie with the stewards unless something is clearly unsafe. He questioned the ambition of drivers who are "happy to crash" if they want to stay in Formula 1 or move to bigger teams. Juan Pablo Montoya, who competed against Alonso for five years following their 2001 Australian Grand Prix debuts before leaving McLaren halfway through the 2006 season, claimed the Aston Martin driver only complains because he is losing. Alex Albon countered the criticism by calling the contact a normal racing incident, noting that another car squeezed him from the outside, while Carlos Sainz also disputed the characterization.

Verstappen deals with engineering teething troubles

Max Verstappen faces frustration while working with his future Red Bull race engineer during the United States Grand Prix. The driver experiences teething troubles as the team prepares for the departure of Gianpiero Lambiase. Lambiase, who has worked with Verstappen since the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix and won four drivers’ championships together, will join McLaren in 2028. He will instead serve gardening leave starting at the end of this season.

Verstappen also commented on the potential of Kimi Antonelli using Lewis Hamilton as a reference point. Antonelli won the US Grand Prix and requires only two points from the final races to secure the 2026 drivers’ championship. This weekend in Mexico City, the Italian driver could become the youngest-ever world champion.

Medical issues and upcoming race schedules

Mercedes confirmed that Kimi Antonelli will miss the media day for the Mexican Grand Prix due to a viral illness. Valtteri Bottas is also suffering from illness ahead of the weekend event in Mexico City. The upcoming race schedule for the end of the season includes:

The FIA recently postponed the Extreme E World Cup in Qiddiya City, Saudi Arabia, which was scheduled to run from October 29 to October 31. This follows previous cancellations or postponements of races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain earlier this season. F1 continues to face questions over whether it will race in Qatar and Abu Dhabi this year.