Alonso doubles down on backmarker driving standards, F1 rivals disagree

MEXICO CITY, Oct 29 - Fernando Alonso doubled down on his criticism of driving standards among Formula One's backmarkers on Thursday as Williams drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon hit back.

Double world champion Alonso, whose Aston Martin team are second from last overall and one place behind Williams, said after last weekend's US Grand Prix that there was "a very low level of driving and lack of talent" in the bottom third of the grid.

The comments came after a collision with Albon when the Thai tried to overtake at Austin's Circuit of the Americas, where Alonso finished 16th and Albon 17th.

"I still feel the same," Alonso told reporters ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. "I think we all know which ones felt hit by that comment. So that tells you everything.

"I don't feel that all the incidents on lap one, all the touches, all the front wings that fly around — all these kinds of things — are necessary, especially if you are fighting for nothing at the back of the grid.

"It's not only Austin, unfortunately. I've been unlucky to be in that area of the race throughout the whole season, and I see things from the car that I cannot comment on here."

STRONG LEVEL UP AND DOWN THE GRID

Albon, speaking in a later press conference, disagreed.

"It's not nice to hear those comments in many ways. You're racing someone that you looked up to, but at the same time, I don't agree. It's as simple as that," he said.

"I think the level is strong up and down the grid. I think 10, 15 years ago, the back half of the grid wasn't the way it is now. We don't have pay drivers (those who pay for their seats) anymore. Hopefully, we don't cross paths in the race this weekend."

Teammate Sainz, a previous winner in Mexico with Ferrari, also felt the current grid was the strongest it has been in recent years and said he rated Albon very highly and enjoyed racing with him.

"I would say I've never been in the last third of the grid until this year," added the Spaniard. "It's definitely not enjoyable. Not so much because of the quality of the racing. It's because you tend to fight people who have very little to lose because the best result you're going to achieve is P20 anyway.

"So there are sometimes incidents or things that would never happen at the top of the grid just because you have a lot more to lose. I think in general none of us in the last third of the grid deserves to be fighting for the positions we are fighting for.

"We all have plenty of talent to be fighting for podiums, top fives, wins."

The bottom team Cadillac have past race winners in Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez and every driver in the bottom four teams, with the exception of Brazilian youngster Gabriel Bortoleto at Audi, has stood on the podium at some point in their Formula One careers. REUTERS