Fernando Alonso has responded to comments made by rookie Isack Hadjar after the Singapore Grand Prix. Hadjar labeled the seasoned driver as ‘grumpy’, following Alonso’s sarcastic reference to the rookie as the ‘hero of the race’ during the event. “Sometimes you need to know when it’s better to fight and when it’s not,” Alonso stated.
Fernando Alonso and Isack Hadjar’s battle on the Marina Bay Street Circuit not only created a thrilling moment, but also a memorable radio exchange. The young Frenchman defended fiercely when the Spanish star attempted an overtaking maneuver in lap 37. At that time, Hadjar was dealing with an issue with his VCARB 02. Alonso was not pleased with Hadjar’s aggressive defense, sarcastically dubbing him the ‘hero of the race’.
“I didn’t push him off the track,” Hadjar defended his maneuvers after the race. “I kept it clean. If he couldn’t enjoy that battle, then he’s just grumpy and there’s nothing more I can do for him.” The experienced Spaniard, in turn, shared his side of the story. “I think he had a minor engine problem, as far as I understood, he was slow on the straights,” Alonso explained. “Sometimes you need to know when it’s better to fight and when it’s not. I think it was an unnecessary risk, but I understand this is Singapore and you have to fight hard. He did his best, but we certainly lost time.”
Problem
However, when the Aston Martin driver heard that Hadjar had described the Spanish star as “grumpy”, Alonso cunningly hit back at the rookie and his team. “Well, some moves at 300 km/h are a bit over the top in Singapore, but everyone races as they want and there was no contact, nothing like that, so everything is fine,” the Spaniard continued. “They have a very fast car, they don’t have many points, so it’s more their problem.”
