McLaren-Honda’s driver Fernando Alonso (front) powers his car during the Brazilian Grand Prix at the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on November 13, 2016 © AFP / Vanderlei Almeida
SAO PAULO, Brazil, Nov 14 – Fernando Alonso threatened on Sunday to deliberately drive into Sebastian Vettel next time they are competing to teach him a lesson about his on-track conduct.
The two-time world champion plans to ensure that the under-fire German understands that “the track belongs to everybody” after the pair clashed during Sunday’s rain-hit and tempestuous Brazilian Grand Prix.
The McLaren-Honda driver and the four-time champion Ferrari racer were fighting for seventh position when Vettel attempted to pass Alonso on the inside at Turn 11.
Alonso said he was forced off the circuit by Vettel and had to run off to avoid contact and thereby conceded a position.
“There was an asphalt run-off and I used it and nothing happened, but if there’s a wall there, I either drive into the wall or into him, which is what I will probably do next time,” raged Alonso.
“I’ll crash into him and he will lose more points than me.”
He added: “It’s okay. You just use the asphalt run-off and that’s it, but one day we’ll have to drive into him so he realises that the track belongs to everybody.”
Alonso went on to finish 10th after a costly spin following one of the re-starts relegated him to the back of the field.
Vettel, who was involved in a foul-mouthed rant on the closing laps of last month’s Mexican Grand Prix, finished fifth after another embittered encounter with Max Verstappen of Red Bull, who passed him on his way to third.
