Alonso to confront FIA over anti-Spanish bias

Fernando Alonso says he will confront the president of F1’s governing body over concerns he is being treated unfairly because of his nationality.

In Miami, FIA stewards rejected an appeal lodged by Aston Martin against harsh penalties imposed on Spaniard Alonso for an on-track incident in China recently.

The two-time world champion was furious, insisting he now sees the sprint races as "useless" because he is so often penalised for trying to race his opponents.

And then in Saturday’s Miami sprint, F1 commentator Martin Brundle said Briton Lewis Hamilton had used the Aston Martins as "skittles" in an ambitious first lap move.

"I guess they won’t do anything because he (Hamilton) is not Spanish," Alonso said immediately after the race.

"I think he ruined the races of a few people, especially (Lando) Norris, who had a very fast car. Today there was no penalty, but with me there is always a penalty," the two-time champion told DAZN.

"I was behind (Esteban) Ocon and I could perhaps have taken a risk to overtake him, but logically I did not to avoid getting penalised again.

"I had no interest in the sprint race - we were just checking the degradation and things for the grand prix," Alonso revealed. "For me it was a free practice, it was not really a race."

As for his complaint about being unfairly treated by the FIA stewards, the Spaniard continued: "I have a feeling that nationality influences decisions.

"I’ll talk to Mohammed (Ben Sulayem), the FIA and so on. I need to make sure there is no problem with my nationality. This is not just about me, but also about the future generation of Spanish drivers who need to be protected."