APRIL 9, 2003

Alonso's view of the Interlagos crash

Fernando Alonso was lucky for a variety of reasons on Sunday afternoon in Brazil. The Spaniard emerged unscathed from what he called a "150mph" crash at Interlagos. He was fortunate to end up on the podium because the race was stopped and, many think, he was fortunate not to be penalized by the FIA Stewards for driving too quickly at a time when there were caution flag all around the circuit. The obvious question that has not really been answered is why Alonso was travelling at 150mph with yellow flags out and Safety Car boards being shown.

"From the third corner onwards, I had seen the yellow flags and the sign SC telling me that the Safety Car was coming out," Alonso was quoted as saying on the Renault team website. "But at that moment, there were yellow flags all around the circuit. I was careful, but I didn't expect there to be as much debris. I couldn't avoid a tyre in the middle of the track. Everything then happened very quickly.

"The impact was massive, and this is by far the worst accident of my career. A big thank you to the team and to the FIA, who take the drivers' safety very seriously. Cars today are incredibly tough. I am lucky to have got off so lightly. My left knee was quite painful when I got out of the car, but it's nothing serious, so I can now enjoy my result."